Outside Influences
by chibi evil
Summary: A Crossover with Ranma 1/2. Ranma returns, and as usual, is a reincarnation from Silver Tokyo. But not on the expected side...
1. Part 1

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From: "Chibi Evil" chibi_evil@dragonslave.com  
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Outside Influences  
Part 1  
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Note: Near the bottom of the text is the disclaimer and some other notes  
that'll keep you from being confused.  
  
The obligatory long winded intro:  
  
First, this is a alterverse fic. There are some changes to Ranma and SM  
timelines and characters and places, though these are mostly minor things,   
like the ages of some of the characters have been played with. All the   
Sailor Moon characters are two years older, but otherwise there are no   
changes in the SM storyline so far. It takes place at the point where   
Chibi-Usa and Hotaru are friends, but before Hotaru goes all evil and stuff.   
In the Ranma timeline it diverges MAJORLY right before Jusenkyo, though   
there are some other changes in Ranma's history I won't go into right now.  
  
Second, Ranma Nibunnoichi characters and concepts belong to Takahashi  
Rumiko, and SM characters and concepts belong to Takeuchi Naoko. I claim   
ownership of only the actual story, not the characters which are used in it,  
with the exception of the ones which I created myself. Any cameos from   
characters from other sources will have the disclaimers at the end of the   
first chapter they are contained in. They are used without permission, and  
no challenge is being made to the property rights of the intellectual   
property used in this story.  
  
Three lines represents a change of scene.  
  
Two lines represents the start of a flashback in a scene. I'll have a lot of   
these later on, but for the first part they will be relatively rare. These   
will also end in two lines.  
  
At the end of each chapter I have some notes on the events of the chapter  
and my thoughts on the chapter as well.  
  
Also, I need prereaders for parts 2+ and some other stuff. Any takers?  
  
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CHAPTER 1  
  
  
  
Haruka looked up from her newspaper as the phone in her home rang. Her   
phone never rang, unless it was Michiru or Setsuna, but both women were   
in plain sight of her, sitting at the breakfast table. It might have been  
the Inner Senshi, but they were more likely to use the Senshi communicators,  
since only Ami and Rei had their phone number. Michiru was a bit confused   
as to why the phone was ringing, and Setsuna had, as usual, a mask of calm   
on her face, though it seemed slightly more thoughtful than usual.  
  
Haruka walked over to the phone, checking the number on the display.   
It was indistinguishable. That meant it was either from a pay phone of some   
kind, or an out of country call. Haruka thought briefly of the people she   
knew who were out of country, and came up blank.  
  
Haruka grabbed the handset and held it to her ear.   
  
"Hello?" She asked.  
  
"Hello." A young man's voice answered, sounding slightly depressed.   
"Is this the home of Kaiou Michiru? I'd like to speak with her. It's a   
family matter."  
  
"Who should I tell her is calling?" Haruka asked.  
  
"Tell her it's her cousin Saotome Ranma." The young man said.  
  
"Alright, just a minute." Haruka covered the mouthpiece of the   
handset and looked to Michiru. "Michiru, there's a call here from someone   
named Saotome Ranma. He says it's a family matter."  
  
"Ranma?" Michiru asked, looking up. "I haven't spoken with him for   
three years, but if he thinks it's important..."  
  
Michiru quickly got up and crossed the room to the phone, concern  
clearly on her face. Michiru had her reasons, of course. Ranma didn't think  
near-fatal wounds were important. Whatever it was would have to be fairly  
significant for him to call her.  
  
"Hello?" Michiru asked, accepting the handset from Haruka. "Ranma? Is  
that you?"  
  
"Michiru?" Ranma asked, relief flooding his voice. "Thank the kami   
it's you! Something really bad happened."  
  
"What is it, Ranma?" Michiru asked.  
  
"Pops... Pops died, Michiru. We were training in a Chinese valley of   
cursed springs, and..." A muffled sob could be heard over the phone, and   
Michiru grew immediately worried. Ranma hadn't been emotionally shaken when   
he and she had parted ways three years ago, despite how close they'd been.   
"H-He fell into one of the springs. He got caught under a broken bamboo   
branch, and drowned."  
  
"Drowned?" Michiru asked, a soft sob escaping her throat. She and her  
uncle had been on good terms, in fact he was the one of the few adult   
members of her family who had accepted her choices in life. "Ranma, where   
are you?"  
  
"I'm in the Tokyo train station, Michiru." Ranma said, his voice sad.  
"I've been calling all our relatives, telling them what happened... You were  
the last, since I couldn't find your number in Pop's address book."  
  
"Where are you staying?" Michiru asked, her voice still sad.  
  
"I don't know..." Ranma sighed. "I couldn't contact Mom. Her number  
wasn't in Pop's address book, and I couldn't find her listed in the phone  
book either. I guess I'll just head into the forest for a while. I can last  
out there untill winter, at least."  
  
"Into the forests?" Michiru asked. "Ranma, no! You can't do that!  
Why not come stay with me for a while? I wouldn't mind, and I doubt any  
of my friends would, either."  
  
"Michiru, are you sure?" Ranma asked. "I mean, I don't wanna impose  
or nothin'..."  
  
"Ranma, you will come live with me for a while." Michiru said. "You're  
one of my best friends, even if we haven't seen each other in a long time."  
  
"I guess..." Ranma said. "What's your address? I can make it to your  
place fine if ya tell me."  
  
"Ranma, just wait there. I'll be there with a friend to pick you up  
in fifteen minutes, alright?" Michiru said.  
  
"Okay..." Ranma said. "I'll be wearing a red shirt and black pants,  
just so ya know what to look for. Thanks, Michiru."  
  
"Ranma, it's not a problem. We'll be there soon. Bye." Michiru said,  
hanging up the phone. Michiru turned to Haruka. "Haruka, can we stop by the  
Tokyo train station on our way to school?"  
  
"Of course." Haruka replied. "What was that about, anyway? You seem  
to be sad about something..."  
  
"My cousin Ranma, and his father, Genma, are relatives of mine who  
practice Uncle Genma's family school of martial arts." Michiru said.   
"They've been to many different training sites, some that were extremely   
dangerous. Once they trained in a room full of moving blades. It seems   
that all of the dangerous training caught up with Uncle Genma. He drowned   
in China a few weeks ago..."  
  
"Oh, Kami-sama..." Haruka said. "Michiru, are you going to be okay  
to go to school today?"  
  
"Yes..." Michiru replied. "We need to pick Ranma up and register him  
at school. He needs an education."  
  
"What's he like? You've only mentioned him a couple of times before   
today." Haruka asked.  
  
"He's a year younger than us. The same age as Usagi and her friends."  
Michiru replied. "He's really naive and a bit arrogant, but the arrogance  
is well deserved. I've seen him punch through a brick wall."  
  
"A brick wall?" Haruka asked, incredulous.  
  
"Yes, a brick wall." Michiru replied. "He's also extremely fast. I'm  
not sure, but last I spoke with him, he could throw ten punches a second,  
at his fastest. He's also a very skilled fighter. He's a sixth dan in karate  
and an eighth in kempo. And a tenth in Anything Goes."  
  
"So, he's a jock?" Haruka asked.  
  
"Yeah." Michiru replied. "I guess that would suit him. But he's not  
stupid. His practical skills and problem solving skills are extremely good,  
it's just he's never stayed in one place long enough to keep good grades in  
school. He's barely managed to stay in his grade level with all the moving  
he and his father did."  
  
"You mean that he could have been a genius?" Haruka asked.  
  
"He IS a genius." Michiru said. "He's just been raised to be a combat  
genius, not a educational genius. His father could only win nine out of ten  
fights with Ranma, despite the fact he was much more skilled, and always  
went all out against him. And he's passed all of his classes, even though  
he's only in school for three or so months a year, before exams."  
  
"I can't wait to meet him." Haruka said, smiling. "Maybe we should  
get him registered at Mugen."  
  
"He could pass the tests easily enough." Michiru said, thoughtfully.  
"But he might not like it there. He's never liked school too much. We   
should register him at Juuban High instead, with Usagi and her friends."  
  
"We'll do it today. We can get a day off from Principal Tomoe, and  
we can buy him the Juuban High uniform, and get him settled in here. We can  
use the spare room we have." Haruka said. "We can introduce him to Usagi and  
her friends tomorrow, since we were planning on meeting them anyways."  
  
"But we can't talk about Senshi business in front of him." Michiru  
said. "What can we do about that?"  
  
"We'll just ask him to show up an hour or so after we meet with them.  
We can introduce him after we get the Senshi business out of the way."  
Haruka said.  
  
"That sounds reasonable." Michiru agreed. "We should go now, though.  
We don't want to be late picking him up."  
  
"You're right." Haruka said, looking at the clock. "Let's go."  
  
"Oh, and Haruka? Some of what Ranma says might sound fantastical, and  
quite frankly like lies, but believe me when I tell you he couldn't lie to  
save his life." Michiru smiled as she headed out the door, not waiting for  
her lover.  
  
Haruka stood confused as she watched Michiru go out the door, then  
shrugged to herself and followed. She'd figure out what Michiru was talking  
about when she met Ranma.  
  
Both left, leaving Setsuna over her cup of coffee. She allowed herself  
a smile as the two left, her hunch confirmed. Things were about to get much   
more interesting.  
  
Looking back on the events that followed that fateful morning, she  
would realise that for once she would be in the top runnings to win the  
Understatement of the Year award.(1)  
  
  
  
Ranma sat on a bench, reading the scroll he'd found among his father's  
meagre possessions.  
  
His father hadn't left many things in this world, aside from debts,  
debts, and more debts. Ranma had a feeling they would come back to haunt   
him, but he couldn't be sure(2)(3). If anybody could say anything about   
Saotome Genma, the first thing that would come to mind was that he was quick   
on his feet when he had to be.  
  
However, what little his father had left him was pure gold. A pair of  
martial arts techniques, which were a side branch of the Anything Goes  
system. Some old magical artifacts Ranma wasn't touching with a ten foot  
pole, untill he could get them identified. Other things of value, which  
Ranma more than suspected had been stolen from some long distant merchant  
or vendor.  
  
He turned back to the technique, trying to get it took work. He knew  
he could do Ki attacks. The scroll called for advanced Ki manipulation and  
speed he did not have, though. He knew on a subconscious level that the  
technique was unusable to him at the time, but his stubborn mind wouldn't  
allow him to bring the thought to a conscious level.  
  
So he sat, yanking his arm back with incredible speed, trying to do  
the air pressure blades at the small targets he'd set up five or six feet  
away. So far, he'd had no luck other than knocking one down by causing a  
slight breeze, but that was all.  
  
A scream pierced the air, causing him to stop and look around.  
  
On the other side of the train station, a metal monstrosity was  
beginning to attack people. It looked like a cross between some of the mechs  
from some of the Anime he'd seen, and a vending machine.  
  
Ranma stood, a grim smile on his face.  
  
Nobody attacked innocents while he was around. The metal thing was  
going to hurt, then it was going to die. The creator would soon follow,  
unless they had a good explaination.  
  
Ranma ran through the panicking people, his backpack not at all  
impeding his movement. He jumped over a ticket counter and drop kicked the  
metal thing, sending it flying through a window and into the streets.  
  
Ranma followed.  
  
He landed on the thing's head, sending it crashing facefirst into the  
sidewalk, and landed in a low stance. He waited as it slowly got to it's  
feet, an angry look on it's eyes.  
  
"KILL!" It yelled, bullrushing Ranma, who jumped into the air, landing  
on it's back and sending it slamming into the parked car behind him. It  
crashed through the car, and a stray spark from the metal on metal scraping  
caused the oil to ignite, sending the car into flames.  
  
"Everybody get away!" Ranma yelled, running at the creature, heedless  
of his own advice. "The car's gonna explode!"  
  
All the pedestrians quickly backed off from gawking at the fight, his  
yells alerting them to their own danger. One girl a couple years younger  
stumbled and fell, coughing raggedly.  
  
Realizing that she wouldn't make it out of the blast radius in time,  
Ranma dove in front of her, shielding her with his own body. The explosion  
was muffled somewhat by the monster, who died in the blast, but the flames  
and debris were not at all slowed down. Jagged pieces of flaming metal hit  
Ranma's back, causing deep wounds, and the flames burnt at his back, his  
shirt turning to cinders in mere seconds.  
  
The girl he had shielded was fine, but Ranma realised he was not. His  
vision was getting hazy and dark, and he felt some coppery liquid begin to  
flood his mouth.  
  
He realised, with a sort of detachment, that he should have been  
feeling more pain. He slowly got to his feet, the coppery liquid, which he  
idly realised was blood, trickled down his mouth. He wiped it from his  
lips as he looked at the monster, which was reforming, despite the fact   
it's head was lying a good foot from it's neck.  
  
He was getting angry. Angry at the way he was feeling scared by the  
thing. Angry with himself, for letting himself get injured. Angry at the  
thing for attacking people. Angry at himself for putting the girl in  
danger. Angry at the creator of the thing, whoever it was.  
  
"KILL!" The thing repeated, it's arms reattaching as it began to   
slowly walk towards Ranma.  
  
Ranma was feeling more and more anger flood his body. Anger at the  
way his father had taken him from all his friends. Anger at his father for  
dying. Anger at himself for being unable to help his father.  
  
Anger at the world, for causing him so much pain.  
  
"DIE!" Ranma screamed, launching himself at the thing, an aura of red  
flames flaring into existance around his body. He began to swing wildly at  
the thing, causing huge dents in the metal body. He delivered a kick which  
sent the thing across the street, into a lamp post.  
  
He felt something in his mind release, flooding his body with memories  
he knew did not, and could not belong to him. They revealed a hundred scenes  
of places he didn't recognize, and bestowed upon him knowledge of martial  
art's techniques that had been lost in the sands of time.  
  
"Ryu Hinshi Kaifuku!" Ranma yelled, using the knowledge that flooded   
his brain. He felt most of his wounds disappear, and felt more and more  
strength flood his body. The red aura dimmed significantly, though it didn't  
disappear totally.  
  
He felt his hands begin to itch somewhat.  
  
He brought his hands together, noting with some curiousity that the  
flames around them intensified with the action. He felt the anger leave him,  
as a ball of red began to glow in his hands.  
  
He felt his strength begin to leave him as the ball began to grow  
larger and larger. He realised, with some amazement, that he was forming  
a Ki attack. He realised that this could end that monstrosity's life. That  
the attack would do what an explosion could not.  
  
"Ryu No Tamasi!" Ranma yelled, watching in amazement as the attack  
raced towards the creature.  
  
It was a stream of red energy, the end forming the head of a dragon  
as it raced parallel to the street. A roar, like that of a dragon's, filled  
his ears, and it smashed through the metal monster, shearing it in half at  
the waist. The dragon faded, as did Ranma's energy. He fell to his knees.  
  
The creature did not move, it's eyes lifeless, and no longer glowing.  
  
Ranma felt someone grab onto his shoulder, and he weakly turned to  
the person, fighting his way to his feet.  
  
It was Michiru.  
  
"Ranma?" She asked, clearly awed. "How-"  
  
Whatever she was about to ask was lost on Ranma, as he passed out from  
the strain of getting to his feet.  
  
  
  
Ranma was seeing through eyes which could not have belonged to him.  
  
He saw confusing images. Images of himself fighting some foe he  
couldn't see make out. Images of himself bowing in front of a regal woman,  
who he felt great respect and reverence on seeing, but no fear despite  
this. Images of people he recognized as allies, and yet the next moment  
could remember neither their sex nor any distinguishing features about any  
of them. He saw himself destroying a large fleet of ships, floating in a  
sea of stars, but he could not remember the names, nor the markings of the  
ships he destroyed.  
  
Someone began shaking him, but after many long years of training  
under his father and waking up the Saotome way, which generally involved  
being thrown over the sides of buildings, into crocodile infested waters,  
or some other stupidly dangerous environment had rendered Ranma immune to  
such petty jolts as a gentle shaking of his shoulder.  
  
He suddenly felt himself focusing on one person. Her face was unclear  
but occasionally Ranma could see a flash of detail, but it was gone before  
he could make out anything clear. He felt many emotions as he stared at the  
woman. He felt love, pure, unsoiled, and given freely and accepted without  
condition. He felt hatred, dark and black, fighting her with all he had. And  
overriding these two conflicting emotions was a sense of acceptance on both  
sides about the situation.  
  
His shoulder was being moved more forcefully, but still not close to  
enough to wake him. After hitting the ground after falling from the second  
floor of a building, then deciding five more seconds of sleep was worth the  
punch his father would get in, it kind of dimmed his perception of the world  
while asleep.  
  
The memories of her began to fill his mind. Laughing quietly at some  
long forgotten ball of some kind. Playing some game at a small table in   
front of a fireplace. Sharing one last, brief, kiss, before they fought for  
the final time.  
  
Someone was speaking his name while shaking him forcefully, not even  
close to waking him up. After waking up while the front door was kicked down  
and Chinese police ran through the shanty town he and his father had been  
staying at, yells filling the air, someone speaking his name in conjuction  
with shaking him would avail them nothing.  
  
The fight between he and his lover had been a brutal, drawn out one.  
No quarter was given nor expected, and it had ended in his death. He still  
remembered the look of sadness playing over her usually collected face, as  
his blood stained her gloves and the grass around them. Her tears had  
mixed with his blood on that fateful day. He had not damned her for the  
attack which would result in his death, nor would she have damned him if   
their situations had been reversed. They loved each other despite being on   
the opposite sides for that final, fateful duel.  
  
The shaking was growing more intense, and the person saying his name  
saying it louder and with more emotion. Not a single bit of it reached him,  
so deeply asleep was he. After waking up in a bear's cave, with the bear  
awake and near ready to slash his head off, the roar echoing off the stone  
walls, no amount of talking would rouse him.  
  
Her face was in the dark, hidden by some hood she wore with the rest  
of her outfit, a stunning gown made of a material he couldn't identify. The  
color was muted, but the way it was presented made her look all the more  
beautiful. Light slowly began to crawl up her face, and he was beginning  
to make out her features.  
  
Finally, he awoke. Michiru was shaking him, and frantically saying his  
name, and some girl was sitting in the front seat of the car. He shook his  
head and slowly climbed out, reflexively scanning the area for danger and  
finding none.  
  
The house in front of him was huge. It was a big as some of the inns  
he and his father had stayed at during their travels and those were meant  
to hold thirty or more people comfortably.  
  
"Shall we go inside?" Michiru asked, grasping Ranma's arm lightly and  
picking up his bag in one hand. Well, she attempted to, but it wasn't going  
anywhere. Haruka frowned and tried to help as well, but yielded little more  
than a scraping sound on the ground, and the bag moving a few inches.  
  
"Oh, sorry 'bout that." Ranma said, chuckling a bit as he casually  
shouldered the bag, to the astonishment of the two girls. He rolled his  
shoulders, allowing the bag to settle into a comfortable position. "The  
bag's two hundred pounds, without anything in it. It's part of my martial   
art's training.(4)"  
  
"Excuse me, but weren't you fighting that monster with that on your  
back? Was'nt it kind of cumbersome?" Haruka asked politely, respect clearly  
in her eyes.  
  
"Not really." Ranma said, chuckling. "I hadta swim to China with this  
on my back. It kinda made it feel a little lighter."  
  
"Swim... To China?" Haruka asked, her breath a bit shallow. To think  
that this young man, younger than her and without any magical enhancements,  
could swim to China was by itself an amazing feat. But to do so with that  
heavy backpack? She was being forced to constantly reappraise the young  
man in front of her.  
  
"How has your training been coming along, Ranma?" Michiru asked, her  
shock mostly gone. She began to lead him to the house. "What have you been  
doing over the years?"  
  
"Well, after last time Pops and I saw you, we went to this place  
in Little Honshu. It was some cave filled with youma, I think. Or was it  
keui? It don't matter, I guess. Anyway, these things could only exist in  
the night, right? So what happened was Pops and me hadta fight them all  
night. We stayed there for a few weeks, fightin' em off every night an'  
sleeping durin' the day." Ranma waited while Michiru unlocked the door,  
and followed Michiru and Haruka inside the house. Taking off his Chinese  
slippers and putting them next to Michiru and Haruka's shoes, Ranma  
followed them to a pair of couches. Michiru and Haruka sat across from  
him in one, and he sat down in the other couch. "After that, we stowed  
away on a ship for North America..."  
  
  
  
Ranma stood, over an hour later, having given them what he considered  
a brief telling of the last three years of his life. His cousin and her  
girlfriend seemed to be in varying states of shock, but he figured they   
were just surprised at how simple his life had been.  
  
Their's had probably been more exciting, right?  
  
"Well, it's getting close to noon." Ranma said, smiling at the two  
girls. "I'm gonna go practice a bit outside, okay?" When the two girls   
nodded their approval, Ranma walked outside.  
  
"Michiru?" Haruka asked, still trying to sort through everything that  
poor young man had gone through in his life. Haruka had thought her life  
had been harsh, and yet after hearing just the past three years of the  
boy's life, she knew she was definately wrong.  
  
"Yes, Haruka?" Michiru asked. She was surprised at how tame some of  
the months had been in Ranma's life, but put that down to her uncle getting  
older and the many travels Ranma had gone to get from site to site. But  
other than that, it seemed like nothing out of the ordinary (For Ranma) had  
happened.  
  
"I think I know what you mean by his story sounding fantastical and  
like a huge lie." Haruka said. "But after what he did to that daimon at the  
train station, which would have destroyed any one of the Senshi in a one   
on one fight by the way, I'm inclined to believe him."  
  
"It's quite odd." Michiru said, her lips quirking into a small smile  
at the woman she loved. "Usually Ranma's travels are a lot harder to   
believe than that, but it's probably all the travelling they did."  
  
"Harder to believe?" Haruka asked. She was now progressing from pity  
to outright shock that Ranma was a socially functioning person. "What do  
you mean, harder to believe?"  
  
"When Ranma was six, barely two months after being seperated from his  
mother, he was repeatedly thrown into a pit of starving cats while bound  
with fish sausage and fish paste smeared on his skin." Michiru replied. "He  
goes insane around cats now, reverting to a cat-like state himself. If he  
ever does that, just pretend he's a big cat and he'll eventually snap out  
of it."  
  
"Acts like a cat how?" Haruka asked. "Walk around on all fours and  
lick his hands act like a cat?"  
  
"No, jump ten times his height, fall double THAT and not make a mark,  
attack enemies with his claws in a frenzy act like a cat. If he ever, and I  
mean EVER, acts like you're an enemy, don't move no matter WHAT. He can go  
through ANYTHING like that." Michiru was dead serious, with the smile gone  
from her face. "He becomes faster, stronger, and gains quite a nasty set of  
claws with it. He could probably take on Beryl like that, if what we saw at  
the train station is any indication."  
  
"Beryl?" Haruka choked. Sure, she knew that all nine scouts could do  
that easily enough NOW, but when the Inners had fought Beryl it had been a  
life and death deal, with the Inners barely coming out alive. Sure, by now  
they were facing daimon only slightly less powerful than Beryl was, but for  
him to be able to do so...  
  
"Kami-sama..." Michiru gasped.  
  
"What?" Haruka tracked Michiru's eyes, and was shocked by what she  
saw. Ranma was in their backyard, practicing his kata while blindfolded.  
While an impressive feat in and of itself, the real amazing part was that  
an aura of bright red flowed around him like flames, bathing the yard in  
a soft red light. He didn't appear to be aware of this aura as he went  
through the form, biting his lip as he concentrated on performing the kata  
perfectly. "How is he doing that?"  
  
"I don't know." Michiru said. "But I think Ami-chan should scan him  
with her computer tomorrow after our meeting when we introduce him, don't  
you think?"  
  
"Yeah." Haruka agreed. The aura was slowly dimming as Ranma's kata  
came to an end, and winked out of existence as he stopped. Furthur proof  
of his unawareness of the power. He wiped his forehead, frowning as he  
did so.  
  
"'Scuse me." Ranma mumbled, walking past Haruka and Michiru. He went  
to his backpack, easily picking it up one armed, and began to root through  
it for a spare shirt. With a small cry of triumph he did so, peeling off  
his old one and putting the new one on.  
  
"So, Ranma. When do you want to go get your uniform?" Michiru asked,  
smirking as he suddenly grew nervous. Michiru groaned inwardly. Ranma never  
liked uniforms, and she doubted he'd gained a liking of them over the   
years.  
  
"Uniform?" Ranma asked nervously. Ranma realised where this was about  
to lead, but decided on giving it a try. Who knows, she might not even be  
THINKING about school.  
  
"You know, a uniform." Michiru said. She could tell he was trying to  
play dumb, forcing HER to come out and say it, but she'd play along, for  
now.  
  
"Why would I need a uniform?" Ranma asked, feigning confusion. He did  
so badly, even HE could tell that, but he wasn't about to just roll over and  
go to school. Why waste time sleep- er, LEARNING, when he could be doing  
katas and practicing the Art.  
  
"Oh, you know." Michiru said. She couldn't help but smirk a bit at her  
cousin's bad acting. She knew that he knew that she knew he wasn't confused,  
but she was pretty sure he didn't know that she knew he knew that she knew  
that he was confused. "It's something MOST kids who are your age do."  
  
"What would that be?" Ranma asked. He knew she had painted him into a  
corner. She'd say the word, but he was the one who brought it up.  
  
"School. Learning. Getting a highschool diploma." Michiru said. She  
realised that she was too used to being with Setsuna. Trying to figure out  
what she meant by whatever she said was confusing and was making her think  
too far ahead.  
  
"Oh, that. Why would I wanna do that?" Ranma asked. Hah! He thought.  
I have her! What's she gonna do, force me?  
  
"Ranma, you have to go to school." Michiru said. "Unless you want to  
be a ronin all your life. You have to have a college degree in Physical  
Fitness to be able to teach martial arts legally."  
  
Damn, Ranma thought. I didn't know I hadta do that. He nodded to  
Michiru, his shoulders slumping in defeat. At least he had tried.  
  
"Ranma, let me show you to your room." Michiru said. "After that,  
Haruka and I are taking you shopping!"  
  
"Shopping?" Ranma deadpanned, thinking back to the girl he'd gone out  
with a few times when he was fifteen. Shopping was bad. It meant many hours  
at the mall, gazing into different windows, and listening to mindless   
chatter about absolutely NOTHING and doing absolutely NOTHING(5). "Oh,   
goody. Shopping."  
  
Ranma didn't miss the sinister smile on his cousin's face.  
  
  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
(1) Something that Ranma has aspired to many times...  
  
(2) Such as in this case.  
  
(3) Bets against this coming back to haunt him? didn't think so.  
  
(4) Hey, he's no Ryouga when it comes to strength, but in later episodes  
of Ranma Nibunnoichi he picks up Ryouga's umbrella when he finds the lost   
boy in pig form, and Akane has trouble lifting it with both hands. I figure   
he can lift this easy.  
  
(5) This is Ranma. If it doesn't concern martial arts or food, it's nothing.  
  
A few notes on this chapter and the story in general:   
Ranma is okay with Haruka and Michiru not because he understands what   
Lesbianism is, but because he DOESN'T understand. In canon, Ranma's general  
philosophy on things he doesn't understand is generally 'If it don't hurt   
anybody, it's not bad'. Also, this is his cousin, someone he trusts and   
generally likes, kinda like the relationship he has with Ukyou, so he's okay   
with it anyway as long as it makes her happy. You'll also notice I've made   
reference to a girlfriend. Ranma is not scared of girls. He's scared of  
hypersensetive tomboys who belt him into the stratosphere for putting his  
foot in his mouth. He's scared of homicidal Chinese amazons. He's scared of  
insane obsessed 'eccentrics'. Of all his fiances, Ranma has no fear around  
Ukyou, and ONLY Ukyou! Personally, I have no favourite, just to keep the  
facts straight, except for possibly Akane, in some cases. But Ranma is ONLY  
totally relaxed with Ukyou. Also, he chases girls. Evidence in the first OVA  
when he goes to extraordinary effort to get Shampoo back. Note that the  
Ranma in the OVAs is generally more of a sexist jerk than is portrayed in  
canon, however.  
  
****************************************************************************  
CHAPTER 2  
  
  
  
Ranma was in a thinly disguised part of hell.  
  
This part consisted mainly of a collection of shops in the clothing  
district of the mall, all offering various clothing designed for young men  
and women.  
  
Most of the guy's clothing, however, was just plain ugly in Ranma's  
opinion. The shirts were all copies of each other, just with different  
colors and logos. They'd have impeded him in a fight as well, he saw. Plus,  
they were made of a material so unlike his silk shirt they felt odd to his  
skin. The pants were all cut wrong, too. They restricted leg movement so  
badly Ranma felt confined just LOOKING at them, and weren't baggy enough to  
hide the beginnings of a kick.  
  
Michiru, however, was making him try them on anyways. She insisted  
(as did many of the other females in the store) that he looked good in the  
clothes, but he felt strange in them. Eventually, he agreed on three pairs  
of jeans and six various colored t-shirts that nearly form-fit his chest.  
  
As they walked to the food court, the clothing in a bag at Ranma's  
side, Michiru suddenly grinned at Ranma.  
  
"After we eat lunch, we can get you some NICE clothes." Michiru said  
to Ranma, the grin never leaving her face. To say that the changes on   
Ranma's face amused her would be an understatement. She watched as he went  
from shock, to denial with a smile on her face.  
  
"Nice clothes?" Ranma asked. Ranma knew he would likely be on the  
losing end of the argument, but he had to try. He'd try to draw a line  
here, but she'd cross it subtly, forcing him to draw a new one. This would  
repeat many times, in all probability. "Whaddaya mean by that?"  
  
"Oh, you know. Some dress pants, a few dress shirts, maybe a jacket   
or two." Michiru smirked as he tried, and failed, to act indignant about  
his situation. "You can't wear your Chinese shirts forever, even if they  
are nice."  
  
"Yeah, but..." Ranma knew, on some level, that Michiru had tossed in  
that compliment as a way of throwing him off guard. He recognized it as  
such, but was still unsure of whether or not he should raise the issue. It  
was only some shirts and pants, right?  
  
"Ranma, I'll even get you one of those chinese shirts you like so  
much. I saw one that would suit you perfectly." Michiru said. Michiru had  
seen the shirt in the window of a clothing shop on the way to Mugen once.  
It would be easy to purchase on the way home from the mall.  
  
"Sure." Ranma said, his shoulders sagging in defeat for the second  
time that day. He realised that arguing Michiru was about as pointless as  
arguing with a rock. No matter what he said, she'd wait then win.  
  
"Great!" Michiru said, smiling as she led the trio into a restaurant.  
  
"Is she always this cheerful?" Ranma asked Haruka, eyeing his cousin.  
She was almost giddy with excitement.  
  
"Almost." Haruka said. Ranma was oblivious to the slightly sad tone  
which entered her voice, for which the young woman was grateful. She didn't  
want to explain Michiru's and her own other half to Ranma, and she was sure  
Michiru didn't either.  
  
They quickly got a table, and, after making their orders, began to  
talk about the one thing Ranma had been wanting to truly avoid since he'd  
gotten to the mall.  
  
School.  
  
"Ranma, you have an important decision to make." Michiru said. "I'm  
pretty sure I could get you into Mugen with Haruka and I, since I know you  
could pass the admissions exam easily enough. However you might want to go  
to Juuban High with some friends of ours instead."  
  
"What're the two schools like?" Ranma asked, curious.  
  
"Mugen is an elite academy for the best and brightest of Japan. Only  
extremely intelligent people can get into the school." Haruka supplied.  
"Both Michiru and I got in easily. From what I've seen, you could get in   
for a martial arts scholarship there, or a general physical education  
scholarship. You could also try for other subjects, but those would be much  
harder to get into."  
  
"Hmmm, that sounds like a good school. What's the uniform like?"  
Ranma asked. He hoped it wasn't something stupid looking.  
  
"The uniform you'd be wearing, unless you want a dress, is a brown  
jacket with the school crest on the left breast over a white dress shirt  
and a pair of grey dress pants." Haruka said. "It's quite comfortable."  
  
"So, what's the other highschool like?" Ranma asked. "I wanna know  
about both before I make a decision, right?"  
  
"Juuban High is the local school for the average students." Michiru  
said. "It's not exactly for stupid people, in fact one of our friends goes  
there and scored highest on the national intelligence test, but it doesn't  
have the same quality courses as Mugen does."  
  
"And the uniform?" Ranma asked. "That's what I *really* wanna know  
about. Is it like Mugen's uniform?"(1)  
  
"No. The uniform is a high collared dark blue shirt, with no school  
markings on it. A set of dark blue pants goes with it. It's actually a  
bit similar to your clothes right now, but more restricting." Michiru   
said.  
  
"I dunno." Ranma said. "What do you guys think I should do? Both have  
crappy uniforms, and Mugen sounds like a good place to go. I mean, I need  
my education to be a good sensei, right? But Juuban sounds a lot better,  
since it'd be easier."  
  
"Ranma, do you like taking the easy way out?" Haruka asked. This got  
an immediate, and EXPECTED, response from the boy. Haruka was a bit shocked  
at how quickly and easily she could read him. (2)  
  
"I don't like taking the easy way!" Ranma said, his voice a bit   
angry. "I'll go to Mugen, and I'll be the top student in my class, too!"  
Ranma was angry for a second before he realised that he'd been cornered.  
He'd now have to do extra homework and pay attention in class, if he   
wanted to pass. He realised that the hereditary Saotome Foot in Mouth   
disease had again kicked in, leaving him in a difficult position.  
  
"They sell the Mugen uniform at one of the stores here, don't they  
Michiru?" Haruka asked, a smile on her lips as Ranma banged his head off  
the table repeatedly. "We'll go for a fitting after we get him the nice  
clothes we promised him."  
  
They shared a laugh together as Ranma lifted his head and gave them  
a defeated glare.  
  
"Why me?" Ranma groaned. His thoughts of self pity and plans for  
revenge against the oni that possessed his cousin and her lover were, in  
a split second, forgotten as the scent of food filled his nostrils.(3)  
  
The Saotome Stomache growled, awaiting it's offering. Ranma's mouth  
began to water as the food he'd ordered was placed in front of him, and he  
was about to tear into it with his usual vigor when he realised he was in  
a fairly expensive restaurant with his cousin, who was usually disgusted  
by his eating habits. Picking up a pair of chopsticks, he did something  
most Saotome men had deemed to be impossible.  
  
Ranma Saotome, heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes, and the  
current prime example of a Saotome man, ate his meal at a normal pace, AND  
at the same time neglected to steal a single MORSEL of food from any of   
the nearby plates.(4)  
  
Michiru blinked, seeing her cousin eat like a normal human. She   
looked at both her and Haruka's plates, and failed to see ANY food vanish  
in a blur of chopsticks.  
  
Haruka ate her meal, unaware of the danger her plate would be in at  
the next meal. After a few minutes of staring at Ranma, and seeing none of  
the usual Anything Goes table manners, Michiru began to eat her meal as  
well.  
  
The Saotome Stomache growled in rage at having it's offering only  
half delivered, and swore revenge on the being that caused it to, for the  
first time since the moment it was born, leave the place of it's master's  
meal unfilled.  
  
  
  
Usagi Tsukino was awoken abruptly by the impact of a chalkboard eraser   
glancing off her head. She coughed through the dust, already knowing what  
was about to come.  
  
"Tsukino-san, is the class boring you?" Her teacher asked, an evil  
look which rivaled Beryl's in her eyes. She had her arms crossed, and one  
foot was tapping the floor impatiently while she awaited an answer.  
  
The rest of the class was already continuing the work, Usagi's fate  
sealed with a snore. Not like it was an unusual occurance anyways. Most  
were just surprised she'd held on untill fifth period today.  
  
"Umm, yes?" Usagi said. While she knew that no matter what she said,  
she would be sent into the hall, saying yes meant that instead of having a  
big lecture, it just meant the teacher would sigh and hold her head like  
she head a headache.  
  
For once in her life, Usagi's predictions were totally correct.  
  
"Tsukino-san, hallway." The teacher said, sighing and holding her head  
in agony. How one student could be so disruptive, and yet maintain a passing  
grade, she would never know. She attributed it to luck. No other reason  
could allow for so much disruption and the maintainance of an average above  
sixty percent.(5)  
  
Sitting in the hallway, looking around and ignoring the sign around  
her neck totally, Usagi began to daydream about the exciting things she and  
Mamo-chan would be doing that weekend.  
  
  
  
Ranma had thought that shopping for what Michiru considered 'casual'  
clothes was bad. He was wrong.  
  
Ranma was currently standing on a slightly upraised platform, with  
his arms stretched out to his sides in his boxers and an undershirt, while   
a giggling young woman took measurements. Thanks to Ranma's training, he was   
broader in the chest than most students were, and thicker in the legs. That   
meant he needed to get a uniform custom made, which wouldn't be delivered   
for a week.  
  
A wolf whistle in the backround caused Ranma to turn beet red, though  
he couldn't identify the source. He was fairly sure it was one of the girls  
that had gathered at the store's entrance for the free show.  
  
Michiru and Haruka were looking on, amusement plain on their faces.  
They had thought that it would be easy for Ranma to get a uniform at Mugen.  
However, since the store was low on stock due to it being so close to the  
start of the school year, and Ranma's build was so unusual they only kept  
one or two sets in, Ranma was stuck being measured for a custom fit. Sure,  
it cost more, but it'd be quicker in the end.  
  
Besides, the entertainment value wasn't to be passed up. Ranma's face  
was varying from only pink to a bright red. One suggestion by one of the  
girls making catcalls had made Ranma's pigtail stand on end for a moment.(6)  
  
Ranma was considering bolting for his shirt and pants. He'd REALLY  
wanted to keep them on for the measurements, but because the material was   
thick and the cut of the clothing foriegn, his uniform would have been a  
bad fit if he hadn't taken off his clothes.  
  
And he was paying for it. He'd never been so embarrassed in his life,  
and he was fairly sure that he never would be. An ill-fitting uniform would  
have been preferable to this.  
  
"We have the measurements." One shop girl said, almost sad that the  
measuring was over. Sure, he was a little young, but with a body like that,  
it didn't really matter to her. Most of the men she dated didn't take care   
of themselves half as well as this guy did.  
  
As soon as the words had left the mouth of the shop girl, Ranma made  
a small jump, flipping over the group of girls next to the podium, landing  
right next to his clothes. He quickly donned them, much to the crowd's  
disappointment. They dispersed, seeing as the free show was over.  
  
"Where next?" Ranma asked, relief clear in his voice. Michiru and  
Haruka were still smiling from his recent ordeal, and he scowled slightly  
at them. "I've got enough stuff now, don't I?"  
  
"No, of course not, Ranma." Michiru said, gesturing across the mall  
to another store. In the window was a mannequin wearing a white dress shirt  
and black dress pants.  
  
"Oh, no..." Ranma groaned. He allowed himself to be lead to the   
store, while silently praying that they had his size. He knew for a fact he  
couldn't and wouldn't go through another 'measuring'.  
  
Had Ranma not been (trying) to act on his best behavior, he would have  
screamed and run as if a million cats were chasing him.  
  
  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
(1) Ranma hates uniforms, and would wear one only if he had to. The reason  
he gets away with wearing his Chinese clothes to school in canon is probably   
because of his hydrotransexuality, not because the school admins are afraid   
of him. While, not through any actions he's taken towards them.  
  
(2) This is Ranma. He's about as sharp as a rubber ball when it comes to  
hiding and expressing emotions and when it comes to lying.  
  
(3) The center of Ranma's life, second ONLY to martial arts.  
  
(4) Yes, he's capable of this in extreme cases.  
  
(5) Actually, there is one. Having someone like Ami hounding you to study  
and studying with you might do it, even if you were as lazy as a sloth.  
  
(6) This particular suggestion would have had Shampoo blushing, and Ryouga  
would likely have died from blood loss. And no, I won't tell you what it  
was, you naughty naughty person.  
  
****************************************************************************  
CHAPTER3  
  
  
  
Ranma sat at a console in Mugen academy, his mind working in overdrive   
trying to answer the questions put forth to him in the entrance exam. So   
far, he'd been at the console for nearly an hour, and by the display on the   
screen, he was only half done.  
  
He'd breezed through History and Geography, as all the travelling he  
did helped sharpen those skills. However, when he'd reached the Science area  
of the exam, he'd panicked. Only half the questions could he be sure of, and  
the rest were just guesses. He'd blanched when he'd reached the Math area.  
He'd fumbled through the questions, sure of maybe one in ten questions at   
the most. After going through the World History section and regaining much  
of his confidence, he'd finished it quickly and nearly groaned aloud at the  
next section, which was Computer Programming. After rapidly skipping ahead  
to the next section, Ranma found something he thought would be easy.  
  
World Religions was a lot harder than he'd imagined. After getting   
much if not all, of the Asian religions questions correct, Ranma had been  
presented with Western European religions he had no idea about. While he  
and his father had travelled from one end of the world to another, he had  
only spent four or five months of his life in Western Europe, due to his  
lack of ability to speak good English, though he could speak enough to get  
by now. After stumbling through the World Religions portion, he was told to  
report to the teacher at the head of the class.  
  
"Um, excuse me." Ranma said, walking up to the front of the class.  
The woman, who was in her late twenties, looked up at Ranma, a slightly  
annoyed look on her face.  
  
"Can I help you Saotome-san?" She asked angrily, inwardly shaking  
her head. Why couldn't these stupid children just leave her alone and finish  
their exams? She'd already dealt with no less than five students leaving   
the exam because it was too hard. After the fifth, she'd told the students  
to just leave if they wanted to give up.  
  
"Uh, yeah." Ranma said. He was a bit surprised at the anger and venom  
in her voice, but put it down to a female thing and left it at that. "The  
computer told me to report to you."  
  
"Excuse me?" The teacher asked, surprised. No way could this kid be  
done the test this fast. It was meant to be taken over a two hour period at  
the earliest, and it was just past an hour.  
  
"The computer said ta report to you." Ranma repeated. What the heck?  
Is she deaf or something? I'm pretty sure I said it loud enough for her to  
hear, Ranma thought.  
  
"Let me see." The teacher said, following him back to his desk. To her  
surprise, there was a note onscreen stating for him to report to the teacher  
for furthur instructions. She turned to him, a bit shakily. "Uh, go to the  
gym on the third floor. One of the physical instructors will continue your  
exam there."  
  
"Thanks." Ranma said, smiling at her and walking for the elevators. A  
short ride followed by a short walk later, Ranma stood in front of one of  
the school's physical instructors.  
  
The man was tall and broad shouldered, with short black hair which  
looked like it had been washed very recently. He had on a tight school shirt  
and shorts, and carried a clipboard with him.  
  
"Are you Saotome Ranma, kid?" He asked. Gruff and straight to the  
point, Ranma observed. I think I like this guy.(1)  
  
"Yeah, that's me." Ranma said, waiting for his instructions. He hoped  
it wouldn't be anything too easy.  
  
"Get on one of the treadmills, and run untill ya feel tired, kid."  
The burly teacher said, gesturing to one of the treadmills which lined the  
wall. He watched as Ranma got onto the treadmill, and began to fiddle with  
the controls. He was about to yell at the kid for making it easier, when   
the speed visibly increased to almost triple what it had been set for.  
  
He sighed, shaking his head at the cockiness of the kid. It'd cost him  
marks, since only the amount of time spent on the treadmill determined the  
mark, not the speed. He was only tiring himself out.  
  
A full fifteen minutes later, the impressed teacher walked over to  
the student, tapping him on the shoulder with his pen. Ranma did a half   
turn, keeping his speed while facing the teacher.  
  
"Yeah, what is it?" Ranma asked, bored. He could and, in fact, HAD  
kept the pace he was at up for close to twenty five hours. If the speed of   
the thing could go any higher it would have been set at that.  
  
"This part of the test's over. You got 100% for this part." The   
teacher said, gesturing for him to get off the treadmill. Ranma did so,  
without any of the usual shows of grace he normally would have performed,  
had there been anybody around. "Next, get on that bar and start doing  
chinups untill you can't do anymore or I tell you to stop."  
  
"Alright." Ranma said, hopping up to the bar. He began to do chinups  
with both arms, to do them faster. After around five minutes, the teacher   
tapped his leg, and he hopped down. "Yeah? What is it? I barely got   
started."  
  
"You're done this part too, kid." The teacher said, respect in his  
voice. The maximum the test was supposed to last was for forty chinups or   
five minutes, whatever took longer. The kid had done close to one hundred.   
"Next is a reflex test."  
  
He led the young man into a room with five buttons, each a transparant  
plastic, underneath which was a light. They were space six inches apart, and  
in a one hundred and forty degree arc to insure that they were an even  
distance from the student.  
  
"This test requires you to continue to press the lighted buttons   
untill you miss one, or you get to the end of the test." The teacher knew   
that not even this young man would be fast enough to do the latter. The   
last two lights were at opposite ends, lasting half a second each and   
occuring within half a second of each other. "If you accidentally press one   
of the unlit buttons, the test ends."  
  
"'Kay." Ranma said, focusing his mind on the task at hand. The lights  
began at a laughably easy pace, slowly building up to a faster pace. Soon,  
Ranma was hitting the buttons at speeds which defied description. Then, the  
test ended, while the dumbstruck teacher stood at the computer control.   
"Hey, how'd I do?"  
  
"You hit every damn one of 'em..." The teacher mumbled, looking at a  
video repeat of the end of the test in slow motion. It was amazing, seeing  
the arms still blurred at half speed.  
  
"What's the next test?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Come with me." The teacher said, shaking his head and going through  
the door. They walked over to a group of mats evenly spaced from eachother  
on the ground. "Do situps untill I tell you to stop."  
  
Ranma complied, lying on his back and beginning to do situps. After  
about ten minutes, the teacher signalled for him to stop, which he did. He  
got to his feet, dusting off his shirt out of habit.  
  
"Five hundred situps..." The teacher said, awed. "Saotome, you're in  
the best shape anybody can BE in. How the hell did you get to such a level?"  
  
"Well, I've been training in my family's school of martial arts for  
my entire life." Ranma said, following the man to the gym's exit. "Added  
to this are my martial art's training in Kempo, Karate, and some Wu Shu."  
  
"What are your Dan ratings?" The man asked. He was becoming more and  
more impressed with the student by the minute. So long as he didn't fail  
the exam, he was going to get into Mugen based on his physical exam   
alone.(2)  
  
"Seventh in Kempo, sixth in Karate and Wushu." Ranma said. "And even   
now I'm the Grand Master of my family's school, so I have a lot of training.  
It's not like I've been slacking over the years."  
  
He left the teacher speechless as he headed for the elevators, lost in  
his own thoughts.  
  
  
  
Usagi was currently dodging the clumsy attempts to grapple by her best  
friend, while at the same time attempting to read the latest volume of her  
favourite manga.  
  
Rei was trying to throttle the annoying blonde she'd devoted her life  
to, while at the same time trying to retrieve her manga without damaging it  
and at the same time damaging said blonde.  
  
The Inner Senshi and the two Outer Senshi present ignored the usual  
goings on, winding down their discussion on the recent daimon attacks and  
how to effectively counter them. They all sighed in disappointment at  
having to be on constant call once again.(3)  
  
A polite, but firm knock on the door brought a smile to the faces  
of Michiru and Haruka, while the others had realisation, followed quickly  
by expectation, dawn on their faces.(4)  
  
Rei walked over to the door, making a last swipe at Usagi, which  
connected, and opened it.  
  
What greeted her was a young man standing there, a red chinese shirt  
slightly tight on his firmly muscled chest. A pair of black slacks, which  
were currently quite loose, but clinging in the most interesting places,  
covered his bottom half. Chinese slippers were over his feet. His hair was  
a black pigtail hanging down his back, and blue eyes peered into and   
around the room as he took her and the rest of the people in with a casual  
glance.  
  
"Hey, Ranma." Michiru said, smiling and waving her cousin in. He  
stepped in, and was met halfway by three seperate, but distinct voices  
yelling out his name in surprise. One was much louder than the others,  
and he DEFINATELY recognized this one.  
  
Ranma's eyes shrank to pin points as he recognized the three voices  
and he began to panic. Three thoughts ran through his mind in the space of  
a second.  
  
'I'm gonna die.' This particular thought was brought about by the   
recognition of the three seperate but distinct voices as three girls he had   
gone out with briefly at varied points in his travels throughout the world.  
  
'Why the heck are they all here?' This thought occurred as Ranma  
realised that at the time he'd dated these three seperate but distinct girls   
they'd been in different areas. One had been in England, one had been in  
Brazil, and one had been in Kyoto.  
  
'The kami are having some REAL fun with my life, aren't they?' This  
thought was thrown at the god or goddess who was supposed to watch over  
him, as he realised that once again, the three fates had come together and  
played another game of 'Let's Screw over Ranma'.  
  
  
  
Somewhere in Asgard, Urd smiled as she watched her charge in his  
latest mess, which she had not, for once, caused in any way. Skuld shook  
her head in pity for the poor mortal boy, while Belldandy clucked her   
tongue and made a vain attempt to lessen the effects of fate on him.  
  
  
  
In Nifleheim, Mara typed furiously on her laptop, tracing the source  
of Urd's amusement, and then broke out into laughter as she saw another way  
to try to mess up the Goddess. She immediately began her work.  
  
  
  
Nearby, Toltiir smiled as his primary source of amusement was once  
again screwed over in an almost methodical manner, and his most recent  
contributer to a private bet shook her silver hair from the helm it was  
contained in. Lenneth began to wait and listen for his soul to be readied   
for the transition to being an Einherjar.  
  
  
  
"You know him!?" Hearing this question in stereo caused Ranma no end  
of trouble. He realised that he had to smooth things over as quickly as  
possible, but had neither the time nor the ability to do so. He also began  
to realise that no matter how things turned out, someone was about to give  
him a serious ass kicking he couldn't stop due to the fact these were girls  
doing the ass kicking.  
  
He hated his life sometimes.(5)  
  
"Hiya guys." Ranma said, smiling sheepishly as his cousin and her   
lover put two and two together and began laughing a bit. He turned to the  
blonde he didn't know and the priestess who'd answered the door and gave   
them a slight bow. "I'm Saotome Ranma. Sorry 'bout this."  
  
All at once his three former girlfriends stood simultaniously.  
  
"HE'S your cousin, Michiru?" Ami asked, for once the fine control over  
most of her emotions shattered at the sight of her former friend. Ranma  
smiled a bit at the way she'd grown up over the past two years. While their  
relationship had been more platonic than anything, being pressed together   
for that time had made them grow close.  
  
"Saotome Ranma, did you break your promise to me?" Makoto asked quite  
a bit angrily, her hands on her hips and a red battle aura, which he could  
feel was composed almost entirely of jealousy, sprang around her.  
  
"Ranma, you DATED two of my best friends!? How could you!" Minako  
looked betrayed and a bit confused as well, but he had learned not to   
mistake that for being dull or anything. She was sharper than him.  
  
"I guess I'd better explain, huh?" Ranma asked, his voice sheepish  
and a bit apoligetic. He glanced over at his cousin, who merely smiled a  
smile that promised this would be discussed in great deal later.  
  
Seven nods caused him to take a seat opposite the couch Minako, Ami,  
and Makoto had been sitting on. The blonde and priestess joined them on the  
couch, interest clearly in their eyes.  
  
"Well, first off, for the two of you who don't know me, I'm a martial  
artist from Japan. Don't ask me where I was born, I haven't talked to my  
mom in ten years and my Pops died before I could ask him. I've been all  
around the world refining my skills, and I'm the best fighter, bar none,  
of my generation. I'm fairly sure there's NOTHING I can't beat in a fight.  
Anybody who knows me'll tell you that." Ranma paused a moment while the two  
he didn't know took this in. "The first time I met Minako was in England.   
It was only for a few minutes at school, when I was introduced and she  
said hi and stuff. Next time I saw her was when she was getting mugged by   
some guys. She was reaching into her purse for pepper spray or something,  
and I jumped in and knocked all of 'em unconscious before they knew what  
hit 'em."  
  
"What happened next?" Makoto asked, shooting a curious glance to her  
old boyfriend. He was growing nervous under the speculation, but despite  
this continued with his story.  
  
"Well, she offered to repay me for saving her by buying me lunch. I  
said sure, since I hadn't eaten for four days 'cause my old man ran off  
claiming I needed to learn some survival skills." Ranma said.  
  
"Waitaminute here." The priestess said. "Just how old were you when  
this happened?"  
  
"I was thirteen, I think." Ranma said. "It was three years ago. But  
after she offered, we went to some cafe and ate lunch. We talked for a few  
hours in the park afterwards, untill my Pops ambushed me and started to  
attack me. After maybe ten minutes of fighting, I sent him through a wall  
and he passed out. We talked for a few more hours, and then I had to leave,  
since my old man said I had to train with some old friend of his. We went  
out a few other times, but then I had to leave for India to study under   
some old guy in an Indian martial art."  
  
"When did you meet Ami?" The blonde asked, looking between Ranma and  
the girl. Ranma was acutely aware of how interested she was in the entire  
event, and that she was reserving judgement on which side she was rooting  
for untill later.  
  
"I met Ami when I turned fourteen. Pops and me were in South America  
for some training grounds in Brazil, and I met her while she and her mom  
were on vacation. We spent a lot of time together, since I was the only one  
there who could speak Japanese, and she was a lot more comfortable speaking  
it over English. After we went out for some walks and stuff for a while, my  
old man decided to move on after we trained in the training grounds for a  
few days." Ranma frowned. "Baka old man. I got a curse there."  
  
"A curse?!" Ami asked. "You never told me anything about that! What  
kind of curse did you get!?"  
  
"Uh, just the standard becoming a Nexus, why?" Ranma asked. He was  
pretty scared about the intensity in her voice.  
  
"A Nexus? What's a Nexus?" The priestess asked.  
  
"A Nexus, according to the guy at the training grounds, is a focal  
point of reality which much of Reality relies on during some periods of  
time, like a demon invasion or a war of the kami. Something that'd cause   
more damage to Reality than it normally takes. What that means is if the   
kami or whatever are unable to continue maintaining Reality, for a while  
I keep Reality anchored to existence." Ranma smirked at the girls, who  
were all now white as sheets. "The downside to all of this is that demons,  
kami, and everything else of magical nature is naturally attracted to me,  
and I'm attracted to things of a magical nature."(6)  
  
"When did you meet Mako-chan, Ranma? She never actually mentioned   
your name to us, though she did talk about you a lot." Minako asked. She  
was glancing between the two, noticing how flustered Ranma got at the  
mention of her friend's name. "Come on, tell us!"  
  
"Well, I came back from China with pops sometime after I turned   
fifteen." Ranma said. He sat down on the floor, looking up to the confused   
girls. "You may wanna sit down, this is gunna take a while. It all started   
after pops and I got back to Japan, and went to Kyoto..."  
  
  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
Urd, Skuld, Belldandy, and Mara are all copywrite by Fujishima Kosuke.  
Lenneth Valkyrie is copywrite by whomever created the PSX game Valkyrie  
Profile. Toltirr, in the incarnation used here, is copywrite Gregg Sharpe.  
All are used without permission.  
  
No challenge to the intellectual property is being made to any of these   
people by my writing this story.  
  
(1) What can I say? After training under his father, and having little  
interaction with normal people, Ranma would get impatient with people who  
pontificate. I think this is why Kuno annoys him so much.  
  
(2) This is Ranma. The same guy who swam to China, fought on a level close  
to Cologne, and regularly walks to school balanced on the top of a chain   
link fince. A physical for normal people is supposed to phase him?  
  
(3) You think something as regular as Usagi and Rei fighting would distract  
them?  
  
(4) Every girl, with the exception of Ami, is boy hungry. And even Ami   
would want to meet someone who could impress Haruka.  
  
(5) Fate and most gods, however, love it at such times.  
  
(6) Heh. Explains a lot don't it?  
  
A few notes on this chapter and the next:  
Next chapter will be a flashback to the five or so months Ranma and Makoto  
were with each other. It will consume the entire chapter, so I won't be  
using my normal stuff for seperating flashback sequences. Chapter 5 will  
resume as normal. Anybody wondering why Ranma dated so much? The truth is,  
he really didn't see it as dating, per se. It was more of being friends with  
the people first, then slowly realising they were more than friends, not the  
actual process of going out with the girls to get to know them AS potential  
girlfriends. Hey, stop laughing! Worked for me. 'Sides, that's how he works  
in the Anime and Manga. Offhand I can only recall two dates he EVER went on,  
and both consisted of him being bribed/bullied/coerced into doing so, not  
him going out and doing so himself...  
  
****************************************************************************  
CHAPTER4  
  
  
  
"When I first arrived in Kyoto, pops and me went to a dojo owned by  
an old friend of his. He enrolled me in the advanced class before he took   
off to take care of some other obligations, so I could learn some of the   
more advanced techniques of his friend's family style, which he'd agreed   
to teach me instead of the Shotokan Karate he taught to the self-defence   
class. When I got there, the blackbelt's class was just getting started in   
their sparring, and Makoto challenged me, thinking I was one of the   
students there..."  
  
  
  
Ranma looked over the girl in front of him, casually evaluating her  
skills based on her body language and her aura. What he found was a decent  
fighter, though nowhere near his level. He judged her to be a second dan  
in this style, though her body language told him she could use a few others  
as well. (1)  
  
"Well?" Makoto asked arrogantly, her hands on her hips. She had a   
defiant look in her eyes, as if daring him to refuse to fight her based on   
some stupid reason, such as the fact she was a girl. "Do you want to spar   
with me or not?"  
  
"Sure." Ranma said, smirking. He was about to teach her a lesson in  
humility, one she wouldn't soon forget. He ignored the fact he should have  
been taught one a long time ago. "What's your name, anyways?"  
  
"Kino Makoto, why do you want to know? And what's your name?" Makoto  
asked, appraising him herself. He could feel her eyes lingering on the more  
visible parts of his body, but put it down to a couple scars he had.  
  
"My name is Saotome Ranma of the Saotome School of Anything Goes, and  
I want to know who I'm about to beat." Ranma said, falling quickly into a  
defensive stance and waiting for her to attack.  
  
"Don't make me laugh!" Makoto said, throwing a punch which appeared to  
be designed to test him. He easily deflected it with a flick of his wrist,   
and at the same time jumped over her follow up leg sweep.  
  
Ranma continued to dodge her attacks, sending easily avoidable attacks  
her way to keep her attention on her defense as well as her offence. She was  
a decent fighter, for someone of her age. Nowhere near his level, but a  
decent fighter. He hadn't trained nine years in THE most punishing training  
regimen known to mankind for nothing.  
  
Eventually, every student in the dojo had stopped their sparring and  
were watching in rapt amazement as the girl none of them could easily beat  
was casually being defeated. They all saw that despite the fact Ranma was  
dodging at a frantic pace, he could have ended the fight at any time quite  
easily.  
  
After dodging an extremely fast flurry of punches, Ranma decided to  
end the fight. Smashing through her defences with a single open hand strike  
to her stomache, Ranma sent her halfway across the dojo, where she landed  
on her feet, winded but otherwise alright. (2)  
  
She bowed to him, while he returned the gesture. She crossed the  
distance to him and shook his hand, respect clearly in her eyes.  
  
"You fight well, Saotome." Makoto said, smiling. She had left the  
words unsaid, but 'much better than I could.' was clearly implied. Ranma  
knew she was too prideful to ask him for training, but he knew she wanted  
to train with him badly.  
  
"I've had to." Ranma said, returning the smile to her. "With the   
number of guys trying to kill, maim, or otherwise injure me in challenge  
fights, I haven't had much room for mistakes."  
  
"Kill?" Makoto asked, her eyes wide with surprise.   
  
"Yeah. Someone screaming 'Saotome Ranma, prepare to die!' then trying  
to take off my head with a sword, punch, or whatever kinda clued me in to  
that fact." Ranma said.  
  
"Saotome-san, is that you?" A man's voice asked from behind. Turning  
and smiling at the old man, Ranma nodded after performing a bow of respect.  
  
"Sensei, are we gonna train now? Or after the class is done?" Ranma   
asked.  
  
"Now, if you'd like, Saotome-san." The old man bowed, while Ranma did  
the same. They dropped into their respective stances while the class melted  
away in anticipation of the upcoming fight.  
  
With some unseen, unheard signal, the two launched themselves through  
the air, one powered by muscles born from hard practice, the other enhancing  
his normally feeble body with spiritual power which gave him the strength to  
fight the superhuman strength Ranma possessed.  
  
They traded blows at speeds which defied description, their exchanges  
over before they began. The most expert students among the blackbelts could  
barely follow the fight, the less experienced not at all. Makoto, however,  
was following the fight with a well trained eye used to facing superior  
opponents. She saw every punch, every kick thrown by the pair as they waged  
their battle.  
  
No quarter was given nor expected on either side. They wordlessly  
fought each other with a rare intensity most humans could never aspire to,  
yet always tried for.  
  
Eventually, though Ranma made an effort few could match, he was slowly  
but surely began to lose the fight. Blows were getting in rarely, but the  
sensei was still blocking all the strikes sent his way. It was only a matter  
of time on Ranma's part before he made an error and lost.  
  
The error came when a punch was extended a mere millimeter too far.  
The wrist connected to the hand was grabbed, and Ranma was hurled across the  
dojo, where he hit the wall with a dull thud, a spiderweb of cracks   
spreading from the point he hit the solid concrete.  
  
To the amazement of the class, and indeed, the sensei himself, Ranma  
got to his feet and gave a low chuckle, his head snapping up and gazing at  
the sensei with a gaze which said the fight had only begun. Ranma fell into  
a stance which was slightly more defensive than the one before, and waited.  
  
He did not have to wait long. The sensei charged with a loud kiai,  
throwing a flurry of blows Ranma barely managed to dodge. Ranma became on  
the defensive, rolling with the few punches which connected and dodging the  
strikes which would have dealt too much damage to be worth taking.  
  
Eventually, Ranma was sent into the wall again, this time by a one  
inch punch which smashed through Ranma's guard like it was nonexistant. He  
did not, however, get up this time. He was conscious, however.  
  
"I... I lost..." Ranma gasped, slowly climbing to his feet. "...How  
could I lose?" The thought was incomprehensible. This hadn't been like a  
normal sparring match, this had been a challenge match to determine who had  
better martial arts skills.  
  
And he'd lost. He couldn't believe it. Had he been lax in his training  
lately? Was it due to the fact he and his father had skipped the last of  
the training grounds when they'd been in South America?  
  
"You are a very impressive Martial Artist." The sensei said, bowing to  
Ranma, who returned the gesture. There was a deep respect in the sensei's  
eyes, unlike the usual scorn in his old man's. "I have been practicing my  
art for over fifty years, and you are the true first challenge I have ever  
had for one your age."  
  
"But... I lost." Ranma said, his eyes downcast.  
  
"Ranma, losing is not everything. One of us had to win, and I employ  
skills you have no knowledge of, whereas I know much of the Anything Goes  
style due to practice with your father, and your style is based heavily on  
Kempo, which I also practice. I used several of my techniques on you to  
win that fight. Had I restricted them to myself I would have lost." The   
sensei smiled at Ranma, his face mirthful. "And besides, this is why you  
have come to train with me, Ranma. So that you can learn my techniques. I  
have no doubts that if you know them you can defeat me."  
  
"Another fall, sensei?" Ranma asked politely.  
  
"I'm afraid not, Ranma. I have doubts as to the building's safety if  
we do. From now on we will practice in the park, in the morning. But for now  
I must teach the class. Will you be joining in?" The sensei asked. Ranma  
nodded without hesitation. "Good. Class! Five laps, then we shall learn a  
new kata form."  
  
  
  
"...And so the training began. During the mornings I would spar with  
Hiryu-sensei, and after that he would teach me some of the Hiryu-do. Makoto  
would walk with me to school, and we'd usually spar after school. Then we'd  
go to the dojo for the advanced class, and afterwards we'd go to the park  
or something. It went on like that for four months, and we actually got  
really close. Then, one day while Makoto and me were walking in the park,  
Pops ambushed me."  
  
  
  
"So, Ranma..." Makoto began, her eyes hopeful. Ranma knew what she was  
going to ask him. It was about the school dance at the end of the week. She  
wanted him to go with her, so they could be a couple at the dance. "Do you  
want to-"  
  
The question was rudely cut off as Ranma was belted in the side of the  
head by his father, sending him into a nearby tree, which splintered on his  
impact with it. He fell to the ground and rolled away from the follow up  
kick which likely would have embedded his head into the walkway, which  
cracked as the foot hit it.  
  
Ranma leaped to his feet, and in one smooth motion delivered a snap  
kick to his father's stomache, sending him flying back into a tree on the  
opposite side of the walkway. Ranma refused to press the advantage, however,  
choosing instead to set himself for the coming attack.  
  
"Boy, you must be getting lax in your training if I can sneak up on  
you!" Genma said, giving his son a disgusted look as he rolled to his feet.  
"Why, a child could have sneak attacked you like you were!"  
  
"Hey, Pops." Ranma said, his voice dangerous. "Nice ta see you too.  
It was kinda rude for ya to hit me while I was talking to Makoto here, so ya  
better apologize to her right now."  
  
"I'll apologize when you defeat me, boy!" Genma responded, trying to  
bait Ranma into making a reckless and easily countered attack. He was a bit  
surprised when Ranma failed to do so, but chalked it up to learning under  
Hiryu-do.  
  
"Come and get it, old man." Ranma said, gesturing with one hand. "Or  
is a geezer like you too old to make an attack of his own?"  
  
"Geezer? Foolish boy, you WILL respect me!" Genma yelled, closing the  
distance and beginning an attack Ranma couldn't hope to avoid.  
  
Well, couldn't have avoided a few months ago. As it was, he dodged   
through the pattern of attacks and dealt a solid knife hand to Genma's  
stomache, seriously winding the older man, and allowing for Ranma to follow  
up with a vicious palm strike to the stomache, which doubled Genma over.  
Ranma finished the combo with a sharp elbow drop to Genma's back, sending  
him sprawled over the ground.  
  
Ranma snorted in disgust, and turned towards Makoto.  
  
Which was why he was unprepared for the leg sweep his father performed  
which was followed up with a solid axe kick to Ranma's gut, stunning him. He  
was picked up and bodily hurled across a large expanse of land, to hit the  
koi pond dead center. Ranma sat up, spitting water out of his mouth and  
glaring at his father.  
  
"What'd ya do that for, ya old fool! How'd ya like me to dunk you in  
here a few times?" Ranma demanded angrily, getting to his feet and shaking a  
carp from his pant leg. He leaped out of the water, and pulled off his shirt  
to wring it dry, all the while eyeing his old man with a dangerous look in  
his eyes.  
  
"What are you gonna do about it, boy!?" Genma demanded, taking a  
arrogant stance which screamed 'I'm better than you' to Ranma. Genma and  
Ranma both knew Genma had more experience, but that Ranma made up for that  
in skill and inventing new techniques and tactics. "Quit being a woman about  
it!"  
  
"Whatdja call me!?" Ranma demanded, closing in on Genma with a speed  
born of rage.  
  
Makoto could only watch in shock as Genma was beaten using sheer force  
as Ranma kicked, punched, and generally inflicted pain with a capital P on  
the older man. When he was done, and Genma was barely conscious, Ranma put  
him into the koi pond with a snort.  
  
"Stupid old man..." Ranma grumbled, looking at the sputtering man, who  
was climbing out the opposite side and shaking his Dogi top dry. Ranma  
turned to Makoto, a smile on his face. "Wanna go to the movies?"  
  
Makoto, still slightly shocked from the downright violent display of  
martial skill that occurred between Ranma and his father, could only nod her  
acceptance.  
  
  
  
"After that date, Makoto and me went to the dance. Then for another  
month, life settled into another cycle, almost the same as the first one,   
but with my old man stuck in, ambushing me between or during the times I   
spent doing the other stuff. But then, a day after Hiryu-sensei finished  
teaching me the last secret technique of Hiryu-do, my old man came to take   
me to China to train at Jusenkyo and some other places. Without saying  
goodbye to Makoto. I wasn't too happy with the old man..."  
  
  
  
"What do you mean, we're leaving now!?" Ranma demanded, glaring at  
his father with what could be generously called 'contempt'. There was more  
than contempt in Ranma's eyes, however. There was an emotion Genma had  
rarely seen in Ranma's eyes before.  
  
Rage. Pure, unhindered, rage. (3)  
  
"We have to leave now, boy." Genma said sternly. He tried to brow beat  
Ranma with the words, which he followed up with a rocky, unrelenting stare.  
"The train leaves in half an hour."  
  
"But I gotta say goodbye to Makoto." Ranma said angrily. "I'm not  
leavin' another friend behind. Especially one as good as her. Everytime we  
stay somewhere for a while, you make us leave without a word. Not this time  
old man. I'm sayin' goodbye to Makoto, and there's nothin' you can do to  
stop me."  
  
Genma said nothing, as he and Ranma stared at each other, awaiting  
the move of the other. Ranma, having less patience and experience than  
Genma, moved first.  
  
It was also his last for a while, as Genma knocked Ranma out with a  
well placed blow to the base of his skull. Ranma sunk to the ground as he  
watched his father stoop to pick him up.  
  
And then, there was only darkness.  
  
  
  
When Ranma awoke, he found himself being carried along a countryside  
road, far from Tokyo. He shot out of his father's grasp, rolling along the  
ground and coming up in a defensive stance.  
  
His father followed suit, raising an eyebrow at the boy.  
  
"POPS!" Ranma screamed. A battle aura manifested around him, though it  
wasn't controlled, and would have little effect on the outcome of the battle  
ahead. It only served to unnerve Genma, for he hadn't been expecting this  
much yet. "Why didn't ya let me say goodbye to Makoto!? It'd only take me a  
few minutes!"  
  
"Boy, the Art stops for no man!" Genma replied self rightously. "Why,  
I never was allowed to talk to anyone! Consider yourself lucky to even be  
able to speak with such a girl!"  
  
"Pops..." Ranma growled. His voice was low and dangerous, and it made  
Genma very very scared. He hadn't heard that tone from his son before, and  
the only thing it promised was swift brutal violence with him as the target.  
"Makoto's been my best friend for the past four months. The only other   
person I've ever gotten this close to was Ucchan. And you didn't even let  
me say goodbye to him. Not this time, pops. I'm goin' back to Tokyo, and I'm  
gonna say goodbye to Makoto."  
  
"Ranma..." Genma said, trying to keep his son in line. He failed, and  
he and his son realised it. Genma knew the only way to stop Ranma from  
going back was to knock him out again. And Genma also knew that he wasn't  
likely to do it, with the state Ranma was in.  
  
When Ranma got angry, truly angry, he became like death incarnate. He  
made faster decisions in the heat of combat, threw harder punches with more  
speed and precision than he'd be able to access normally. Genma had only   
ever seen his son this angry once, and it was an experience that still gave  
him the willies. When he was THAT angry, the boy just wasn't human. (4)  
  
"Pops, you've got TWO choices. I go and see Makoto and we meet up at   
the next town. Or I go and see Makoto and we meet up at the next hospital.  
Your choice, old man." Ranma said, never dropping his stance, and never  
taking his eyes off his father.  
  
"Fine, boy." Genma said, dropping his stance and turning down the   
road. He sighed a bit, realising that Ranma would do this no matter how long  
it took. "I'll set up camp five miles down the road if I don't come across  
a town first. If I get to a town, you'll meet me in the nearest park."  
  
When he turned, Ranma was already gone.  
  
  
  
Makoto was crying on her bed, her face pressed into the pillow to  
muffle her sobs. She felt so betrayed and used, she thought she could swear  
off men forever.  
  
Ranma hadn't showed up for her date with him. He hadn't called, left  
a message, or done anything to tell her he was going. When she'd called the  
Hiryu dojo, she'd been told Ranma's stuff was gone from his room and that he  
and his father had been seen walking off.  
  
That had been over twelve hours ago, and she realised that if he had  
cared...  
  
He hadn't cared. He'd just been interested in her for her looks, like  
all the other boys. He hadn't cared about those long discussions. He hadn't  
given any value to those long hours of training together under Hiryu-sensei.  
He was scum, just like all the other sweet talkers.  
  
He would have called her if he did. He would have left a note. Ranma  
would have done something, ANYTHING, to let her know he cared enough to say  
goodbye in some form or another.  
  
She heard a tapping on her window. Makoto slowly lifted her head from  
the pillow, wiping the tears from her red eyes.  
  
Ranma was hanging on the window upside down, like he had for countless  
nights before. He had a sad look on his face, and he waited for her to come  
to the window to open it for him.  
  
"Ranma?" Makoto asked, watching as he stepped in. Shock and anger were  
evident on her face, as well as relief. She wasn't sure which was dominant.  
Her mind was a swirl of emotions. "I-I thought-"  
  
"Sorry, Makoto." Ranma said, sighing. He sat down on her bed, and gave  
her an apoligetic smile. "Pops clocked me on the head and dragged me off  
before I could come and say goodbye. I just got back to Kyoto now. I hadta  
threaten the old baka with a hospital bed before he'd let me go."  
  
A weary look came across his face.  
  
"I hadta travel for six hours, at top speed. The old man had gotten a  
ride from some farmer halfway out. Sorry I couldn't have gotten here sooner,  
but this was the best I could do." Ranma sighed, looking up to Makoto. "I  
guess you know I'm leaving, huh?"  
  
Makoto nodded, still trying to work out the feelings inside. He cared,  
he really did. He'd come to see her personally, instead of just moving on.  
After being well over sixty miles away, if the speed he could keep for as  
long as he wanted was any indication of how fast he ran. Probably faster,  
though.  
  
"Makoto, I... I have feelings for you." Ranma said, his voice growing  
a tad shaky. Makoto hoped and prayed that Ranma wouldn't chicken out, like  
he had in other times, like after the dance, or at the movies. "I care for  
you... I really do. I wish I could stay."  
  
"But..." Makoto prompted, determined not to lose him without a fight.  
He loved her! He was as likely to admit it right now as he was to being able  
to lose, but he'd said he'd cared for her, and that he had feelings. She   
knew this was likely the best she'd get right now, since getting Ranma to  
talk about his feelings was like pulling teeth.  
  
"But I... I hafta continue training. I'm gonna be the best. Pops and  
my... My mom..." Makoto realied how hard this was for Ranma. He rarely, if  
ever, had spoken with his mother. "I hafta continue the Saotome school. I  
hafta be the heir they need. So I gotta train..."  
  
"And it's a decision between me and your future, isn't it?" Makoto  
asked, not wanting to skirt the issue any longer. She noted that she'd   
stopped feeling sad. She'd stopped feeling, period.  
  
Ranma nodded soberly, conflict warring on his face. She knew he wanted  
to stay, but he wanted to go. She couldn't go with him, and he couldn't stay  
if he wanted to be the best.  
  
"Then... Then promise me." Makoto said, an idea entering her head. "I  
want you to promise me you'll come see me when you inherit the Saotome  
school from your father. Promise me you'll come back and see me."  
  
"I... I promise." Ranma said, his eyes beginning to water a bit. "I...  
I've gotta go. Goodbye, Makochan."  
  
"Goodbye, Ranma." Makoto said. Ranma leaped from her room, an   
emotional mess. She couldn't be sure, but she thought that she saw a flash  
of moonlight reflect off a tear, but it was gone before she could confirm  
or deny it, as was Ranma.  
  
  
  
Ranma sat against the wall of the grungy alley, forcing himself to  
calm down and ignore the emotional wreck he was, and find his father to  
continue his training.  
  
After all, real men didn't cry, right? (5)  
  
  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
(1) Makoto is also a brawler, as evidenced by some of her more devious  
attacks when fighting the daimon in canon.  
  
(2) Likely, the REAL reason Ranma doesn't hit girls in canon is because  
of the trouble it causes. When he first arrives in Nerima, the last girl  
he hit had chased him across most of Asia to kill him for it. Besides, he  
DOES hit Kodachi, Rin Rin and Ran Ran, and others.  
  
(3) Ranma's old enough to comprehend what's going on now. Makoto and he  
are nearly as close as he was with Ukyo, but this time Ranma's old enough  
to know this is gonna be bad.  
  
(4) See canon anytime Akane is seriously threatened. Look what happened to  
Saffron, for examples. Serious overkill there, and Ranma wasn't like he is   
in normal fights. No continuous insults. Just methodical slaughter. I mean  
it's one thing to beat someone in a fight. Ripping the idiot stupid enough  
to piss him off limb from limb is another thing entirely.  
  
(5) Likely, Genma was well on his way to making Ranma a social reject by  
this point even if it is moderated by Makoto's presence. Crying and most  
emotions have been shown to be unmanly in Nodoka's, and therefor in Genma's,  
eyes.  
  
Ah, thank kami-sama that's outta the way. This chapter was hard to write,  
and I got writers block in several places. This delves into some of the  
reasons Makoto is so hung up on her old boyfriend. I know this is an almost  
typical pairing in SM-Ranma crossovers, since EVERYBODY and their dog seems  
to equate Ranma as her old boyfriend, since he does, despite his lack of  
redeeming characteristics, inspire an almost mindless loyalty from the  
girls he meets. But I promise this won't last. I'm not going for the boring  
and easily predictable path here.  
  
****************************************************************************  
CHAPTER5  
  
  
  
Ranma was finished his tale, and now all of the girls had questions  
for him, which he was answering as best he could. Could he REALLY jump from  
roof to roof? Could he beat some of the daimon attacking Juuban?  
  
And the big one. What had happened after he last left Makoto?  
  
All of them he answered honestly. Even the big one, much to the   
surprise of Michiru and her lover. Ranma sat back and smiled at the girls,  
who all seemed happy with his answers, for now. (1)  
  
"So, what about you guys? What's happened with you over the past years  
anyways? I've told you my story. Now it's your turn." Ranma noted, with some  
curiousity that ALL of the girls, including Michiru and Haruka, that there  
was a general nervousness surrounding the topic.  
  
"Nothing much, really. Some daimon attacks in the area, but we haven't  
had anything to do with them." Ami said, her voice calm. And lying. Ranma  
wasn't sure, but he got the distinct feeling he wasn't being told the truth  
about it. He wasn't sure why she would lie, though. And she was speaking for  
the entire group.  
  
Ignoring it, Ranma glanced at the clock, which read it to be quite  
late in the day. It would be dark outside in less than an hour. He got to  
his feet, stretching.  
  
"Listen, I gotta go. It was nice seeing all of ya, and nice meeting  
you two." Ranma said, bowing to them all politely. "But I have some stuff  
I hafta take care of, so I'll see you later."  
  
With that, Ranma departed.  
  
  
  
Ranma leaped from rooftop to rooftop, ignoring the light rain that had  
sprang up out of nowhere. His destination was clear in his mind, and he only  
hoped that he would make it before it closed.  
  
He was in luck. He skidded to a stop outside one of the local dojos.  
This one was an older one run by an old friend of his father's, the   
Tendos(2). He had called them ahead of time, promising to tell them what had   
occured in China.  
  
He was kind of worried, though. Tendo Soun, whom he had talked to on  
the phone, had been happy to hear from Ranma. Too happy for his liking. It  
was as if his father had been planning on visiting there anyways. Ranma   
didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but he thought it would  
end up a bad thing.  
  
He was about to knock on the door, when he got an idea from the sign  
at the side of the gate. The one that read 'Challengers use side entrance'.  
Ranma quickly jogged around to the side of the home, locating the smaller  
entrance. He knocked on the door loudly.  
  
"Challenge!" Ranma yelled, then patiently waited while the rain's  
intensity increased. After maybe half a minute of waiting, an older man in  
a dark green gi, with long black hair and a trimmed mustache, answered the  
door, his face serious. He guessed it was Tendo Soun, the owner.  
  
"You wish to challenge the Tendo School of Anything Goes, young man?"  
The man asked in a fatherly manner, his tone firm but at the same time very  
rebuking. He obviously didn't consider Ranma a challenge.  
  
"Yes, I do." Ranma said, his voice grave. "I am fully aware of the  
skills the practicioners of the school possess, and I am quite willing to  
challenge any whom you wish me to fight. Do you answer my challenge?"  
  
The man nodded, gesturing for Ranma to follow him. Ranma walked behind  
the man, and they eventually entered a well kept dojo, with a shrine on the  
north wall. Ranma clapped twice as he entered, to appease any spirits. The  
man nodded in approval.  
  
To the side of the dojo were three young women in casual clothing, (3)  
to bear witness to the fight. He guessed them to be the man's daughters, as  
they didn't appear to have been students.  
  
"What is the nature of the challenge? A match for points, or a match  
with the loser admitting defeat or being knocked unconscious?" The man asked  
seriously.  
  
"The loser must admit defeat and beg for mercy, or must be knocked  
unconscious." Ranma said, walking into a position three meters from the man  
and bowing.  
  
"Might I know your name before the match begins?" The man asked,   
returning the bow "As you probably know, I am Tendo Soun of the Tendo School   
of Anything Goes martial arts."  
  
"My name is Saotome Ranma of the Saotome School of Anything Goes."  
Ranma said, watching Soun's eyes widen in recognition. He fell into a ready  
stance, and Soun did the same, watching with weary eyes. The young women  
at the side each had a look which mixed speculation and shock on their faces  
as they waited for the fight to begin.  
  
A brunnette, one of two, the shorter haired one, stood halfway between   
the two, raising one hand.  
  
"Hajime!" She yelled, chopping the fist down.  
  
Ranma immediately charged, throwing a series of punches and kicks  
designed to test the older man. It was obvious that he hadn't trained very  
intensively for the past few years, but had retained most of his skill and  
technique despite this. He expertly dodged or blocked all of Ranma's blows,  
throwing some counters in which Ranma easily deflected.  
  
Ranma leaped back, doing a flip in midair to dodge a kick sent at his  
midsection by the older man. Ranma decided to draw out the fight, so as not  
to embarrass the man. He had good skills, but both Ranma and Soun knew Ranma  
was much better. Besides, going for the quick defeat made the opponent aware  
of a greater extent.  
  
Ranma got in close, throwing three punches in rapid succession, then  
ducking under a sweep kick meant to knock him across the dojo. Grabbing  
Soun's leg, Ranma tossed the older man away.  
  
Soun came up in a roll, and Ranma admitted he'd underestimated the man  
even if only by a little bit.  
  
Ranma smirked, and decided that he had ket the fight go on long enough  
and it was time to finish things. He ran forward, ignoring the single shot  
Soun was able to get in before Ranma rained punches on the man, breaking his  
feeble defence and sending him to the ground, barely conscious.  
  
"Do you give up?" Ranma asked, squatting next to the man. He got to  
his hands and knees, shaking his head. Ranma sighed. He had to do it the  
hard way. "Sorry 'bout this."  
  
Ranma hit him in the face, putting him unconscious. Ranma immediately  
began to administer first aid.  
  
"Why'd you do that, you jerk!?" The sole girl with black hair demanded  
of Ranma, walking next to her father and helping. "You'd won the fight, you  
didn't have to hit him again!"  
  
"Yes, I did." Ranma said, giving her a pointed look. "The rules of the  
fight stated only the loser admitting defeat or being knocked out would end  
the fight. Had I not finished it, I would have insulted both him and the  
Tendo School of Anything Goes. And your father knows that it's against the  
prime tenants of the school to admit defeat."  
  
"Yeah, but-" She continued.  
  
"Besides, I didn't do anything permanent. I only hit him hard enough  
to knock him out. Sure, he's got some bruises, but he's not gonna even have  
a concussion or nothin from the fight." Ranma added. "Look, it's pointless  
to try and convince me I did somethin' wrong here. I won, your pops lost.  
Nobody died or got maimed, and nobody was even hurt too bad."  
  
"Oh my. Does father need a compress?" The oldest of the sisters asked,   
a girl with long brown hair in a ponytail that fell over one shoulder. She  
handed one to Ranma, who placed it on Soun's forehead.  
  
"Do any of you know why my old man was gonna come here after we went  
ta China? And why was your pops so happy about me coming here, anyways? Did  
he engage me to one of you or something?" Ranma asked. He wasn't encouraged  
by two of the girls blushing and one of them smirking at him. He was   
beginning to become suspect of the purpose of his father's planned visit to  
the Tendo Dojo. "Oh, great. Just great! Not another one. I don't need this  
kinda crap."  
  
"Excuse me?" The middle daughter asked, her tone indicating she felt  
more than slightly insulted by what he'd just said. "Care to explain that  
little outburst to us, Saotome?"  
  
"I've got TWO fiances already." Ranma said, shock hitting all three  
girls at the same time. "One is a girl named Daitokuji Beiko, a student at  
Gravitron High. Her pops owns a major company or something. The other is a  
girl I used to know named Mido Miko. Neither one was my choice, both were  
arranged by my old man."  
  
The eldest looked a bit surprised at this, but seemed to take it in  
stride. She appeared to be an unflappable sort. The brunnette with the short  
hair seemed a bit nonplussed, and looked to be in deep thought about the  
situation already.  
  
The youngest was emitting a visible blue battle aura which seemed to  
be crackling with anger. It was beginning to scare Ranma a bit. She was  
muttering something about 'bakayaro hentais' but he put it down to a bad  
day or something. However, he did slowly inch away from close range.  
  
"Look, I've got other stuff to deal with tonight. I didn't expect to  
stay long, and the fight took longer than I thought it would. Tell your pops  
I'll be by tommorrow to talk about this, but for now I gotta go." Ranma said,   
getting to his feet and bowing politely.  
  
"Where can we reach you if my father wants to talk to you earlier?"  
The middle daughter asked.  
  
"He won't." Ranma said, leaving the dojo, a satisfied smirk on his  
face as he left the household grounds.  
  
  
  
Setsuna looked through the Gates of Time, trying to reach her future  
self. She was surprised, and a little bit scared, to find the timestream in  
utter chaos. The future of Crystal Tokyo was certain, still, which gave her  
cause for some measure of relief, however, what she was seeing was still  
scaring her. The only constant thing seemed to be a battleworn young man,  
who appeared to be married to one of the scouts.  
  
Which one he was married to varied, untill finally settling on the one  
person she had prayed it wouldn't. She could have handled this stranger  
marrying any of the Inners of the future, even Chibi-Usa. She could have  
stood for him being married to Saturn, or even Michiru or Haruka. Setsuna  
would even have settled for herself.  
  
But not Neo-Queen Serenity. That would mean both a serious disruption  
in the Timestream, and Chibi-Usa could change. She was happy to note the  
only change APPEARED to be a pigtail, which meant Usa wouldn't fade from  
existence.  
  
Yet. Setsuna bent her magic to stabilising the current timestream,  
working through the layers and layers of possibilities untill she found a  
way to control the degradation furthur. Using most of her strenght in the  
enourmous task, Setsuna solidifed the current path destiny would take. She  
knew it was only a temporary fix. It wouldn't last more than three days.  
  
She teleported to her room in the home she shared with Haruka,   
Michiru, and Michiru's cousin. The pigtailed boy, Ranma.  
  
She sat on her bed, realising the implications. He was clearly a very  
powerful entity, his battle at the train station had proven that. But if his  
past self was malevolent or benevolent towards the senshi remained to be  
seen. She regretted she couldn't look to the future, but if she did so the  
timestream would degrade furthur and any answers she recieved would become  
worthless as soon as she got it.  
  
She searched her memories, trying to find the source of Ranma's own  
previous incarnation. He hadn't been using magic in his attacks, such as  
she herself and the other Senshi did, but another source of energy she could  
only recognize as the life energies all living things possessed. Ki.  
  
That narrowed down the list of possible candidates less than she would  
have liked, but it was a start. There was the possibility he could have been  
any of the minor Earth nobles slain in the battle on the moon, however they  
had all relied on magic.  
  
Possibly a member of the dragonoid race of the Harae, but she had  
her doubts. They were flighty creatures at best, and had been slain much  
before the final battle by the youma under Beryl's command in a merciless  
and delibrate attack.  
  
She lay back in her bed, trying to think of any other possibilities.  
Perhaps he was able to manipulate his Ki at will. She doubted it, however.   
Such a power would have been noticed by everyone around him, unlike magic,   
which was undetectable to all but the most powerful magic users.  
  
  
'What's wrong with me?'  
  
  
She started, a sudden memory bombarding her senses. She remembered  
where she knew the attack from. It had been something only one person she  
knew of could ever achieve.  
  
  
'Am I a youma?'  
  
  
It was him. Koh.  
  
  
'Why is this happening to me? Did I do something wrong?'  
  
  
Koh had been a young man she'd known from a witch hunt on Earth. He'd  
killed a group of bandits trying to mug him with a blast of energy the local  
mages had determined was NOT magic. He'd been ten when they'd tried him for  
execution.  
  
  
'Where's my mom? What's going on!?'  
  
  
Queen Serenity had pleaded with the king of Earth to stop the killing.  
She had sensed an enormous potential in his abilities. Eventually, and very  
reluctantly, the king of Earth declared him an exile from Earth, and he was  
raised next to Queen Serenity as Princess Serenity's brother.  
  
He'd trained hard for three years, growing close to the Inner Senshi  
at the same time. He'd refined his abilities to a level usually reserved  
only for highly trained mages, able to battle any of the Inner Senshi to a  
standstill in practice.  
  
Then, one day he'd disappeared, causing all of the Inner Senshi no  
small amount of pain. The hardest hit had been Sailor Venus, the pain of  
losing the one suitor she held intense feelings for disappear tearing her  
soul apart.  
  
A year later, the day of Beryl's attack, he'd reappeared, fighting on  
Beryl's side. For reasons never made clear to her, he'd obliterated half of  
Queen Serenity's fleet, mowing through the ships with a careless ease.  
  
It was moments later when he was confronted by Venus. She had never  
gotten the details from Venus, but the pained look told her volumes. The  
fight had been mutually painful for all the Senshi, but Venus took his  
death the hardest.  
  
Ironic, considering he had died by her hand. Venus had become much  
more emotional after that, something which bled over into Minako.  
  
Setsuna was not reassured by Koh being 'alive', nor by the fact he   
could be Ranma, and that he could be going after Usagi as a lover. She could  
furthur disrupt the timestream and perhaps pray for Ranma to not end up  
with Princess Serenity, and solidfy THAT timestream for the present.  
  
But at the moment, she couldn't. She was too tired from the exertions  
at the Gates of Time. She would rest for the moment, but she would fix the  
problem as soon as possible.  
  
And she prayed, as she felt herself fall into a slumber, that there  
would be no adverse affects from her leaving that small gap in time. (4)  
  
  
  
Somewhere in Japan, a flash of light heralded the arrival of a young  
girl, perhaps thirteen or fourteen years old. She had long pink hair pulled  
into a pigtail which ran down her back, trailing to the level of her knees.  
She opened her red eyes, glancing up to the sky.(5)  
  
"This must be Tokyo." Usa said, looking around and recognizing some of  
the landmarks, while unconsciously looking for any signs of hostility or   
any witnesses to her arrival. There were none. "I'd better go find mom and   
the old man."  
  
With that, Usa started her journey for the country of Japan, her goal  
firmly set in her mind. She had to find her father, and she knew where to  
start.  
  
"Juuban, here I come."  
  
  
  
Ranma was walking home from the Tendo dojo, happy with his match, and  
a little angry at being sold yet AGAIN by his father. He respected his   
father as a fighter and parent, but he had been a real idiot sometimes. He  
had three unwanted fiances or MORE wandering around.  
  
He was thankful for one thing, however. It looked like none of the  
three girls at the dojo wanted to be engaged to him, something he was very  
thankful for.  
  
Both his other fiances wanted him for purposes unknown. Beiko he could  
kind of understand. Her father had said she would be cut from the will if  
she didn't enforce the engagement, and he knew she stood to inherit quite a  
bit from her father. That didn't explain much, since she practically owned  
the company anyways.  
  
Miko, however, confused him hopelessly. She'd caught up with him and  
his father somewhere in the area of Hokkaido. Ranma had become good friends  
with her, however she always had this gleam in her eyes he didn't like. On  
the one hand, she also had this aura of fear around her. It was something  
he'd barely been able to sense, and it was instinctive, nothing she'd been  
doing consciously, but it creeped him out.  
  
On the other, she was his friend, and she appeared to have some VERY  
serious feelings for him. He'd returned them, to a point. But after about a  
month or so, their friendship had passed some unidentifiable point, and she  
became more and more aggresive in her pursuit of him.  
  
It was at this point he and his father had had to leave. He'd left her  
a note he was sure she'd recieved, and left for some stupidly dangerous  
training grounds, a smile on his face.  
  
His thoughts were cut off as he reached his new home. He walked in,  
intent on a nice, long, rest.  
  
  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
Mido Miko is copywrite Maeda Toshiro. Daitokuji Beiko is copywrite  
Nakajima Katsuhitsu and Shirasaka Kazumi. They are used without permission,   
and no challenge is being made to the property rights of the intellectual  
property used in this story.  
  
(1) Not for long, not when Setsuna speaks with them.  
  
(2) Yes, I know that the Tendo Dojo isn't in Juuban, it's in Nerima. But  
that's in Canon, not this fanfic.  
  
(3) We all know this is Akane, Nabiki, and Kasumi, right? Well, Ranma   
doesn't know who they are yet. So I'll refrain from using their names untill  
he hears them.  
  
(4) Forshadowing...  
  
(5) followed immediately by instant gratification! aren't I nice?  
  
Ah, the plot thickens. Seriously though, this chapter created a lotta loose  
ends, didn't it? Well, this is part 1 of an unknown amount of parts. 'Till  
it's done, I guess.  
  
****************************************************************************  
CHAPTER 6  
  
  
  
Michiru awoke, languidly stretching the kinks from her back out as  
she got to her feet. Today she had school, and she was planning on stopping  
by the principal's office for Ranma's test scores.  
  
She didn't have to, she discovered. His acceptance letter was among  
the bills in the mail as she got up. She set about making coffee, after   
which she sat down with the envelope, pushing the bills aside for now.  
  
She looked at it, unable to discern a pass or fail from the outside  
of the envelope. She couldn't be sure, so she decided to open it. No doubt  
Ranma would only be interested in whether he passed or failed, not in the  
flowery acceptance letter or any of the other stuff Michiru would wind up  
dealing with anyway.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Saotome, Ranma Applicant #0234  
Scholarship Type: Sports (Martial Arts)  
  
GENERAL SPECIFIC  
History 89% Physical Stamina 100%  
Geography 94% Upperbody Strength 100%  
Science 74% Physical Reflexes 100%  
Math 41% (omit) Lowerbody Strength 100%  
World Religion 91%  
Programming 0% (omit)  
  
OVERALL: 93.5%  
  
ACCEPTED  
  
Welcome to Mugen, Saotome Ranma.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
She nearly dropped the letter in shock as she read it, her eyes wide   
as she realised the implications of what was contained therein. Ranma had   
not only scored well, but he'd achieved a mark passing the acceptance by   
well over three percent, overall. Considering the passing mark was an ninety  
percent this was extremely impressive.  
  
Also, she felt a little jealous. Ranma had attained a higher entrance  
grade than she had. By only two percent, but it still irked her. But, she  
realised, it wasn't fair to judge by that alone. Her specific courses were  
much harder than his, and he was in excellent shape, ensuring the four   
perfect marks easily.  
  
A pair of arms draped themselves over her shoulders, engulfing her in  
a tight hug. She turned and kissed Haruka, handing her the acceptance slip.  
Haruka took it, glancing over the results. Her eyes widened as she read the  
paper.  
  
"Impressive." Haruka said. She smiled at Michiru, her face a bit  
mischievious. "He got it based on his physicals alone, it seems. Like we  
told him, he could get in for a Martial Arts scholarship easily."  
  
"Yep. Looks like he'll be in one of your classes from now on, love."  
Michiru said, getting to her feet. "I'm heading for a quick shower. We have  
classes soon."  
  
Haruka followed, leaving the slip of paper on the table.  
  
  
  
Ranma awoke, and found Haruka and Michiru eating a light breakfast  
at the kitchen table. Ranma followed suit, eating some bread and jam. His  
cousin flashed a smile as she tossed him an opened envelope.  
  
Ranma caught the envelope, looking inside. There was a bunch of paper  
he was planning on ignoring, and a small slip of paper. Ignoring the numbers  
he read the only word that mattered.  
  
Accepted.  
  
"YES!" Ranma shouted, jumping out of his seat, raising his arm in his  
moment of triumph.  
  
"Well, Ranma. Time to go to school." Michiru said, gesturing to the  
clock resting on the wall. "You want to be there early, so you can go to  
the office and get a student to guide you for the day."  
  
"Huh? Why would I wanna do that?" Ranma asked, curious. "I found my  
way around fine for that exam thingy."  
  
"Ranma, Mugen's the biggest school in Tokyo. You won't be able to get   
to ALL of your classes without being late if you don't know your way around  
the place." Haruka said. "Michiru and I both got lost on our first days,   
too. It's not a big deal."  
  
"Fine." Ranma said, grumbling. While he didn't want to be late for  
any of his classes, he didn't want to admit to a weakness, either. "I'll get  
a stupid guide. Happy?"  
  
"Not really." Michiru said, grinning. "You still don't have a uniform  
yet. Make sure you get a note from the office for that. Can't have you get  
in trouble over not wearing a uniform, right?"  
  
Ranma nodded. He didn't want to wear the uniform, but it appeared he  
would have to if he wanted to go to Mugen, and he'd accepted a challenge  
from Haruka. He never lost a challenge. Saotome Ranma didn't lose. (1)  
  
Ranma followed Haruka and Michiru out to the car. It was going to be  
a LOOONG day.  
  
  
  
Usa smiled as she walked up the walkway to the house. Her father had  
described the house in quite good detail, down to the way the windows were  
cleaned and the colour of the shinjles on the roof.  
  
She walked to the door, plucking the golden ties on her chinese shirt  
with no small amount of nervousness. What would she say to her father? What  
would she say to the Puu of this era? She wished she'd brought Artemis or  
Luna along, but she'd been told she could meet them here anyways.  
  
She swallowed her nervousness, and knocked on the door.  
  
  
  
Setsuna heard the knocking on the door, and quickly got to her feet,  
making her way to the door. She looked out the peephole, and saw Chibi-Usa,   
though she looked strange.  
  
Chibi-Usa was wearing a white silk chinese shirt, similair in design  
to Ranma's, but with gold ties instead of wood ties, and a embroidered   
emblem of a dragon in gold on her left side. Her hair, instead of being in  
the usual carrot top style Setsuna was used to, was wild, and appeared to  
be pulled back into a rough ponytail.  
  
She opened the door, smiling, and was glomped onto by the energetic   
young girl.  
  
"Hi, Puu!" Chibi-Usa said, nearly cracking Setsuna's ribs. Setsuna was  
surprised, to say the least. Normally Chibi-Usa wasn't so... violent, in her  
shows of affection. "Where's my old man? Is he out with mom today?"  
  
Something seemed very, very, wrong here. While Chibi-Usa wasn't very  
formal most of the time, she at least made the attempts to do so. Right now  
she was using a very disrespectful term for her father, and it looked like   
she forgot all of her language lessons.  
  
"Small Lady?" Setsuna asked, confused. Chibi-Usa gave her a strange  
look, wondering what was going on. "I'm sorry, but Usagi is in school, as is  
Mamoru. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Mamoru?" Chibi-Usa asked, in genuine confusion. "Who's that? I was  
talking about my pops! Not that guy, whoever he is."  
  
"What?" Setsuna was now confused. Then it clicked. The change in her  
attitude. The chinese clothes and pigtail. The rough speech pattern.  
  
The confusion at the mention of Mamoru's name.  
  
"Puu?" Chibi-Usa asked, waving one hand in front of Setsuna's face.  
"Are ya okay? Should I go get the doctor or something?"  
  
"Um, Small Lady... Your father is Chiba Mamoru, right?" Setsuna asked,  
her voice calm and centered. She would figure out what was going on here.  
  
"No, 'course not! I ain't never heard of the guy! You know my old man  
is the greatest fighter in the Moon Kingdom! Saotome Ranma of the Saotome  
School of Anything Goes martial arts!" Chibi-Usa said, puffing up with some  
pride. "An' he's been training me since I was four! I can almost beat him  
now! Unless he uses his Chestnut Fist or something."  
  
Setsuna, sat down, hard.  
  
"Puu, you okay?" Usa asked. Setsuna was sure this WAS Usagi's child.  
Her aura had the same aura of the Moon Kingdom in it, and she had the royal  
crescent on her forhead. But this wasn't the Chibi-Usa she and the other  
Senshi knew. This was a different one.  
  
It was beginning to make her head hurt, as she realised where she had  
made her mistake. She had solidified the Timeline in the hopes of keeping   
the Chibi-Usa she knew the same. She hadn't realised THAT future Pluto would  
send this Usa back as well. Nor had she realised, untill this point, that  
since Usa had already become part of THIS time's history, and since she had  
the powers of Neo-Sailor Moon, she was safe from being lost in time.  
  
This was the result. There were now TWO Neo-Princess Serenitys walking  
around, both Usagi's child, and both from different fathers. Mamoru would  
burst a vessel when he found out.  
  
Most likely Ranma's. (2)  
  
Ranma, on the otherhand, was about to get the shock of his life. He  
hadn't even been 'reborn' yet, and he was about to face his possible future  
daughter, when he got home from school.  
  
"Oh my."(3) Setsuna said, looking at Usa.  
  
  
  
Ranma walked through the halls, only half paying attention to his  
guide for the day. The place was radiating evil Ki, and it clung to him  
like an unpleasant smell.  
  
"Ranma? What's wrong?" His guide, one of the older students, asked.  
She had short silverish hair, and was wearing a strange bracer on her left  
arm. Strange, that.  
  
"Nothin..." Ranma said, continuing to follow her.  
  
His guide was worried. Here was a wonderful specimen, perfect by any  
standards, and he seemed to be able to sense the Negaverse energies in the  
building. This did not bode well for her.  
  
She would have to summon a daimon to dispose of him. On the bright  
side, perhaps he possessed a pure heart crystal, and maybe even the artifact   
they searched for. She sent the mental command, and smiled a bit as the  
daimon responded.  
  
She felt the daimon getting closer. It was Sonica, the half radio  
daimon. She was really embarrassed sometimes. Why they were given the   
ability to speak was beyond her, as they obviously were too stupid to make  
use of it. (4)  
  
"Prepare to die, humans!" Sonica roared, coming around one corner. She  
was a woman, but with speakers for hands and radio casing for clothing. "I,  
Sonica, will -urk!"  
  
The daimon's long and stupid speech was cut off by Ranma's feet   
planting themselves into her head. He flipped back, sending her into one of  
the hallway walls. Students streamed past him, running from the monster.  
  
Soon, only he and his guide remained. Ranma cracked his knuckles while  
giving the daimon a smirk. This was stuff he understood. No mental foes to  
deal with here, this was something he could deal with HIS way. With his   
fists and feet.  
  
"How dare you!?" Sonica demanded, getting to her feet. She pointed one  
of her speaker hands at Ranma. "SONIC BLAST!"  
  
At the end of those two words, the air rippled while a high pitched  
screetching filled the air. It hit Ranma, sending him into a wall. He got  
to his feet to Sonica's surprise and his guide's relief.  
  
"That wasn't very nice." Ranma said, wiping a thin trickle of blood  
from one lip. He'd cut his lip from that, and his shirt was now torn to  
shreds, leaving his chest bare and scratched. "I think I should kill you,  
daimon. But I'll give you a chance to run, first. After that, you're dead.  
Just like that stupid vending machine in Tokyo Train Station."  
  
"You killed Vendar? She was weak, anyways, boy!" The daimon sneered,  
giving Ranma a look of contempt. She was too smart, in her opinion, to be  
fooled. The boy was obviously weak from her initial assault. "Prepare to  
die, human! SONIC BLAST!"  
  
This time, Ranma was ready, and he easily dodged to the side. The  
attack hit the wall, causing it to shatter, leaving a classroom of students  
cowering under their desks. Ranma closed the distance, and slammed a kick  
into the side of Sonica's head. She was sent reeling by this, and Ranma then  
tackled her out the window.  
  
As he was falling he realised the upside and downside of the situation  
he was now in. The upside was that the daimon was most likely about to die  
from the fall. The downside was so was he. He was near the top floor when  
he'd jumped.  
  
Sonica was looking at the clearly insane human, trying to comprehend  
what the stupid boy had just done. He'd committed suicide, and was taking  
her with him.  
  
"SONIC BLAST!" She screamed, anger filling her voice. Ranma dodged.  
It was impossible, but he dodged. He did a flip in MID AIR, getting over the  
blast. Ranma gave her a strong palm strike to her stomache, sending her  
flying out of control and unable to aim at him.  
  
Ranma turned his attention to the rapidly approaching ground. There  
was a small pool, a batch of bushes, and a few other semi-soft areas he  
could land. He decided on the small pool, and hoped it was at least four  
feet deep.  
  
SPLASH!  
  
As Ranma's head lightly impacted on the bottom of the pool, Ranma  
reflected that learning under that American diving sensei had been a very  
good idea. He got out of the water, turning his head to the daimon. She was  
trying to stand, her legs broken and her left arm twisted at an odd angle.  
  
"S-Sonic... Bl-" She began, laughing insanely. The pain must have   
driven her over the edge, and she looked like she wanted to finish Ranma. He   
began to dodge.  
  
"Venus Crescent Beam!" A white hot beam of light lanced through the  
much weakened daimon's arm, causing it to seperate from it's elbow down. The  
shrieks of pain from the daimon filled the air, and Ranma turned to whoever  
had shot the beam.  
  
The Sailor Senshi stood there, in full fuku. Sailor Venus had a huge  
smile on her face. She looked happy to have saved him from the daimon's  
attack, like it would have hit.  
  
"Are you okay?" Sailor Venus asked, concern in her voice. Her oddly  
familiar voice. Something told him he knew her, but for some reason he had  
no idea from where, or even if he was sure he did. "Did the daimon hurt you  
with it's attacks?"  
  
"Nah. Just tore up my shirt pretty good." Ranma said, gesturing to the  
tattered red shirt that hung from him in rags. He noted that many of the   
girls were staring at his bare chest. "It had a pretty weak attack. Barely  
stung when it hit. Only danger I was in was from the fall."  
  
"Fall?" Sailor Mercury asked. She was kneeling in front of a miniture  
laptop, with some kind of visor on her head. She raised it and looked at  
him. "What fall was that? We got here just as the daimon was beginning it's  
attack."  
  
"Uh, from somewhere near the top floor. The stupid daimon was gonna  
hurt someone with those attacks, and I hadta get it out of the school before  
a student got hurt." Ranma said. He looked them over, and felt a strange  
compulsion to talk to their leader. Something about her beckoned to him, in  
a way nobody had ever effected him before. He wanted to protect her, to be  
loved by her.  
  
He cut that thought off violently. He had ENOUGH problems without  
dealing with women. He didn't need yet ANOTHER suitor capable of causing  
mass destruction. The cat fights between Beiko and her friend Aiko were bad  
enough without adding the Senshi to the mix. (5)  
  
"Look, it's getting kinda chilly here, and I gotta get to class."   
Ranma said, giving them a slight bow. "Seeya around."  
  
Ranma walked into the building, heading for his locker.  
  
  
  
The Senshi stood there for a moment, confering on what to do next.  
  
"I think we should learn to start getting used to extremes around  
Ranma, huh?" Rei asked, looking at her friends. She looked up, along with  
the other Senshi, and could barely make out the shattered window. "Not even  
we could survive a fall like that unscratched, like he was."  
  
"Yeah. And he looked like he brushed off the daimon's attack without  
being hurt." Makoto said. She smiled. "Could he be a child of the Moon  
Kingdom? He seemed pretty anti-daimon here! What do you think, Luna?   
Artemis?"  
  
Luna and Artemis were shivering in fear. They both looked at eachother  
and on thought crossed their minds at the same time. Koh.  
  
"Sailor Moon, we have to kill that young man." Luna said. She got the  
expected looks of shock and anger from her charges, but silenced them with  
a dangerous glare. "That young man is a reincarnated Negaverse General. The  
strongest. He was the one who cost the Moon Kingdom Silver Tokyo and the  
war. That young man destroyed half of the Imperial Fleet with ONE ATTACK!  
He was barely stopped by Venus at the height of her power!"  
  
"Artemis, is this true?" Minako asked, looking to her advisor. He  
nodded grimly, for once no humor in his voice or manner.  
  
"Minako, Koh was a very dangerous person. Mentally unbalanced and very  
powerful in his own right. Queen Serenity saved him from being killed in a  
trial on Earth when his powers first manifested. She raised him as her own  
son, and then, three years later, he disappeared in the night." Artemis   
said. He looked to Luna, who nodded.  
  
"After he disappeared, Beryl began to move her forces on the Moon  
Kingdom. The final assault came almost one year later. Koh was leading it.  
He destroyed the Imperial Fleet, as well as much of the enemy fleet as well,  
simply as a backlash of his power. While his forces engaged the Imperial  
Fleet, he alone came to Silver Tokyo to assassinate Queen Serenity. Venus  
was the only one who stood in his path, and their fight was long and brutal.  
Eventually, she shot him through the heart, and he died, leaving no reason  
for his betrayal." Luna sighed. "It was quite sad, really. I expect your  
memories of him will be returning now that you've been prompted."  
  
"But we can't just KILL Ranma!" Makoto said. The others nodded in  
total agreement, even Usagi and Rei. "He hasn't done anything wrong! And he  
what if he decides to be on OUR side? He'd be a powerful ally, and I don't  
think the Negaverse would attack their own General."  
  
"Koh was borderline insane." Luna said. "The only reason the Negaverse  
trusted him was because he was too powerful to risk angering. He became a  
twisted individual in the end, unable to even recognize the woman he called  
his sister."  
  
"That's so sad..." Usagi said, a tear coming to her eye. "Who was his  
sister, Luna? Was it one of us?"  
  
"Usagi, it was you. You were his sister." Luna said. Artemis nodded,  
flopping to the ground. "Pray he doesn't awaken, or that he doesn't remember  
the last year of his former life. That's all we can hope for."  
  
The Senshi departed, going to return to their schools.  
  
"Luna, we can't let him live. He's much too dangerous. He's just like  
Sailor Saturn, but with no self control." Artemis stated. "And the girls  
don't want to kill him. They're all emotionally attached to him."  
  
"Artemis, leave it be." Luna said, sighing. "Usagi and her friends  
won't kill him, Michiru and Haruka LIVE with him, and Setsuna isn't around,  
nor is Saturn. Besides, Usagi will lose her trust in us if we do this the  
way it should be done. Let's just hope Usagi has made the right decision,  
like she has in the past."  
  
The cats stood there, gazing at the distant hole in the window above.  
A testament to the already immense power the boy possessed.  
  
  
  
Ranma sat in the Mugen dojo, watching the dojo instructer teach the  
students the wrong moves. Finally, he'd had enough. He got to his feet.  
  
"You don't actually expect that to work, do you?" Ranma asked. "The  
punch is all wrong! It has no power, and you can see it coming from a mile  
away!"  
  
"Oh, and who are you to judge me, Saotome?" The teacher demanded. "I  
am a third dan in Shotokan Karate! I've studied my entire life, and I think  
I know what I'm talking about."  
  
"That's it?" Ranma asked, a derisive snort causing the man to become  
angry. "I'm a seventh dan blackbelt in Kempo, a sixth in Shotokan Karate and  
in Wushu. I'm also the Grandmaster of the Saotome School of Anything Goes.  
That's who I am to judge you! I'm willing to back my credentials up with a  
challenge match if you don't believe me!"  
  
"Fine, Saotome!" The teacher growled. "Front and center!"  
  
Ranma walked to the front of the dojo, facing the instructer. He did  
not bow, for he had no respect for those as full of themselves as this guy  
was. (6)  
  
It wasn't a fair fight. It couldn't be called that. The teacher had  
rushed in, and the next thing he knew he was being hurled across the dojo,  
to hit a padded wall and then knocked unconscious. He dusted his hands, and  
turned to the class.  
  
"Since the sensei appears to be unconscious, I'll teach the class  
today. Unless anybody thinks I can't teach 'em nothing?" Ranma asked. He  
recieved no complaints. "Now, when you punch, you get the power from your  
hips..."  
  
  
  
Usa smiled as she played with Setsuna. They were currently in the  
middle of a game of Chinese Chess, and she was winning, if only by a little  
bit. Setsuna had an imperceptable mask on. That was all it was, Usa knew. A  
mask.  
  
"Your move." Setsuna said, smiling inwardly. She hadn't had a good  
game of chess, Chinese or European, in a long time. This was becoming very  
fun indeed.  
  
"Jiang." Usa said, moving her cannon. Setsuna was surprised at how  
well Usa played. She hadn't expected the little girl to be such a good   
strategist, but put it down to being raised by Ranma.  
  
Setsuna almost let a groan escape as she realised no matter where she  
moved, she would lose her single remaining cannon. She moved her king, and  
Usa quickly took Setsuna's cannon. Setsuna realised she could only take it  
with a horse, which would open the way for one of Usa's pawns. She did it,  
only afterwards realising her mistake.  
  
"Jiang again, Puu." Usa said, smirking as she moved another piece in  
striking distance of Setsuna's king. Setsuna frowned a bit, trying to find  
a way of getting out of her situation.  
  
A knock on the door interrupted their game. Setsuna got up, grateful  
for the small break. She was a little scared by how analytical this Usa was  
in anything resembling combat.  
  
At the door was Usagi. Setsuna inwardly groaned. This wasn't going to  
be pleasant by any means, and Usa would be causing a LOT of confusion soon.  
She let Usagi in, and she was immediately glomped onto by Usa.  
  
"Usa, what's going on?" Usagi asked, returning the hug.  
  
"Dad and Puu sent me back for a while! Pops says I gotta train so I  
can get better at the Art." Usa said, smiling. "And he also wanted me to  
meet you and him when you were younger."  
  
"Setsuna, what's going on?" Usagi asked, confused. "This is making my  
head hurt! Why does Usa have a pigtail, and why is she dressed like Ranma?"  
  
"It appears that a disruption in the timestream caused by some unknown  
source caused a divergence. This Usa is the result of you and Ranma getting  
married, as opposed to you and Mamoru." Setsuna said. "I'd solidified one  
alternate timeline to gather energy and to make sure Chibi-Usa wouldn't be  
harmed, even temporarily. My future self from that timeline sent this Usa to  
us."  
  
"Huh?" Both Usagi and her daughter asked, confused.  
  
"There are two Chibi-Usas running around right now." Setsuna said.  
"Both are YOUR daughter, but the one we know is by Mamoru, and this one is  
by Saotome Ranma."  
  
"Wait a minute." Usa said. "Puu, did you say there were TWO of me? And  
one wasn't fathered by my old man!? Mom, how could you cheat on the old man  
like that?!"  
  
"But..." Usagi said, still totally confused. "How could I have two...  
What happened to Mamo-chan... My head hurts!!"  
  
"Mom, it's okay..." Usa said, giving her mother a hug. "It's not your  
fault. Puu, so I'm the anomaly? I'm not the one that's supposed to be alive  
right now?"  
  
"That's a harsh judgement." Setsuna said. "You aren't a temporal  
anomaly. You're just from a different timeline, where Ranma and your mother  
married instead of what we've been expecting. It's what I've been aiming  
for, but somewhere down the line a divergence must have occurred. You are  
just as alive, and you aren't any less real then the other Usa."  
  
"So, I'm real and the other Usa is real." Usa said. "So what's going  
on, then!? Why did pops and mom get married, if that's not what was supposed  
to happen here?"  
  
"A disruption in the Timestream apparantly caused a divergence, making  
Ranma and Usagi grow closer while Mamoru and Usagi grew apart. That's all I  
know." Setsuna said. "And your father hasn't even remembered himself yet. He  
only knows himself, not his former self."  
  
"That's bad." Usa said, her face growing grim.  
  
  
  
Ranma walked along the streets, lost in thought. The battle he'd  
fought today was one of the simpler ones, but he continued wondering why  
it had chosen him, instead of chasing after the fleeing students. What was  
so special about him that he was more valuable than forty or fifty people?  
Not that he wasn't the best, but they had to have more Ki than him. He  
wasn't THAT good yet.  
  
His thoughts were cut off by a fist impacting his face, sending him  
flying through a wall, and into a garden. A trio of women were sitting  
there, drinking tea. One was fairly young, only sixteen or seventeen. She  
had long brown hair in two thin braids. One was around thirty or so, with  
short copper hair. She wore a kimono and held a silk bundle in one arm. The  
third was an older woman.  
  
Ranma got to his feet, looking at the daimon who had smashed him  
through the wall. It was a cross between a trashcan and a woman. She was  
damn ugly.  
  
"I, Trasher, will smash you to junk!" She roared. "FLAMING GARBAGE!"  
  
"Oh god, not another one." Ranma swore, slamming aside the flaming  
bits of paper, orange peels, and other disgusting and slimy things. He ran   
forward, smashing her in the gut with a heel kick, following up with an  
uppercut which sent her flying into the street.  
  
"BARRAGE OF DAIPERS!" A hailstorm of soiled children's undergarments  
was sent at Ranma, who dodged, allowing them to hit the garden wall with a  
series of splats. He ran forward, and was batted back into the garden by a  
lucky hit.  
  
"Are you okay?" The oldest woman asked. "Yohko, use the Soul Sword!"  
  
"I don't need no help!" Ranma yelled, jumping to his feet. He was  
getting angry again. Very angry. These stupid daimons didn't know when to  
quit! This was the THIRD TIME in as many days he'd been attacked by them!  
He was going to kill the stupid B-movie reject!  
  
Ranma's aura burst into existence, sending a sharp wind over all of  
the assembled entities. The daimon, being the source of Ranma's ire, was  
soon being mercilessly pounded on by the enraged boy.  
  
Ranma finished with an uppercut which nearly took the daimon's head  
off. It sent it flying into the air, unable to defend against the brutal  
assault. Ranma gathered his hands, and was pleased to note the red aura  
once again gathered at his hands. He needed no prompting this time.  
  
"Ryu No Tamasi!" Ranma yelled. The dragon roared, racing towards the  
airborne daimon, smashing through it and blasting it in half from the force  
of the hit. Then, the dragon released it's energies in a concentrated blast,  
obliterating the daimon where it was falling. A few bits of black dust was  
all that remained of the creature.  
  
Ranma collapsed to his hands and knees, and the youngest girl ran out  
and helped him to his feet.  
  
"Are you okay?" She asked, amazed. She was excited. Here was a boy who  
could be a potential boyfriend, and he was able to help her fight devils to  
boot! She hoped the boy her grandmother engaged her to didn't show up. He  
could spoil everything.  
  
"Yeah." Ranma said, nodding as she helped him into the house. He felt  
his knees buckle, and he fell to the ground. He looked up at the concerned  
girl. "I'm Saotome Ranma. Sorry 'bout this."  
  
Ranma passed out. Had he stayed conscious he would have heard a whoop  
of sheer joy and satisfaction.  
  
  
  
END PART 1  
****************************************************************************  
  
Aiko is copywrite Nakajima Katsuhitsu and Shirasaka Kazumi. Devil Hunter  
Yohko is copywrite it's respective owner. No challenge is being made to  
the intellectual property of these people.  
  
(1) Yet another example of Genma's destructive teaching. He imbued Ranma   
with an unreasonable amount of stubborness.  
  
(2) Every male Ranma ever comes across blames him for any problems they  
have in life. Mamoru just has some reason for it right here.  
  
(3) It fit. It was the only thing that did.  
  
(4) As proven any time a daimon opens it's mouth.  
  
(5) Watch Project A-ko. It explains this.  
  
(6) He ignored the fact he was ten times as full of himself. At least HE had  
the skills to back it up.  
  
Well, that's it for this block of chapters. Lotsa surprises and unexpected  
stuff, huh? Well, I need a few prereaders. Someone who'll read through my  
future messes and tell me what they think. Email me if you want the   
position. Also, if anybody's wondering, the second Usa that came back is  
just under Ranma in terms of ability when not in Senshi form, but in her  
Senshi form (as Chibi-Moon or Neo-Moon, take your pick of names) she is  
WAAY more powerful. As in easily kicking the crap out of any two Senshi  
at once powerful. What happens, and I'll explain this, is since her all of  
her physical attributes are highly enhanced while in Senshi form, she can  
make much more effective use of her her abilities. The reason is that while,  
in terms of RAW power, she's got less power than say Sailor Mars, she is  
able to use much more of it and more effectively. Sailor Moon and company  
have little in the way of combat training, with the exceptions of Makoto  
and possibly Haruka. A lot of their fights degenerate into hucking magic  
around like there's no tomorrow and clumsy dodging of the enemy's magic,  
if they even bother. Most of the time they cover their faces and hope for  
survival. Imagine Ranma with much more raw Ki. You get the picture.  
  
Okay. I need Comments and Criticism. Good stuff though, please. None of  
this flat out BS, consisting solely of "You Suck!" or other such drivel. I  
am perfectly happy to have my faults and mistakes pointed out to me, so long  
as it's done in at least a semi-polite manner and they tell me why.   
  
I can be reached at the address at the top of this file.   
  
My website is at:  
  
http://www.geocities.com/chibievil/  
  
'Till next time,  
-Chibi Evil  
  



	2. Part 2

****************************************************************************  
From: "Chibi Evil" chibi_evil@dragonslave.com  
****************************************************************************  
Outside Influences  
Part 2  
****************************************************************************  
  
Disclaimer: Ranma Nibunnoichi characters and concepts belong to Takahashi  
Rumiko, and SM characters and concepts belong to Takeuchi Naoko. I claim   
ownership of only the actual story, not the characters which are used in it,  
with the exception of the ones which I created myself. Any cameos from   
characters from other sources will have the disclaimers at the end of the   
first chapter they are contained in. They are used without permission, and  
no challenge is being made to the property rights of the intellectual   
property used in this story.  
  
Three lines represents a change of scene.  
  
Two lines represents the start of a flashback in a scene. I'll have a lot of   
these later on, but for the first part they will be relatively rare. These   
will also end in two lines.  
  
At the end of each chapter I have some notes on the events of the chapter  
and my thoughts on the chapter as well.  
  
And evil bastard that I am, I've begun making up new enemies as well as   
keeping The old ones in as well. Goody for me. It's because most of my   
Sailor Moon stuff comes from fanfiction.  
  
****************************************************************************  
CHAPTER 1  
  
  
  
Ranma awoke to a very painful headache. This was probably caused by   
the head injuries he recieved from the fight with the daimon he'd had before   
he passed out from ki depletion.  
  
He shrugged it off. Probably just a little brain damage. Nothing all  
that serious. He sat up in bed and looked at his surroundings. He was in a  
bedroom that appeared to be a spare. No decorations marked the walls, and no  
personal touches marked any areas of the room. The window was open a crack   
and a slight breeze brushed the curtains aside.  
  
He got up and walked to the window, reflecting on the fight with the  
daimon. It had been a serious battle, taking most of his ki reserves to beat  
it. Sure, he'd won the fight with little injuries, but he'd overdone it.  
  
Outside, the garden wall lay cracked in several places from one of the  
daimon's attacks, and there was a hole in the wall where he'd originally  
entered. Beyond the fence, parts of the street lay cracked as well.  
  
He stretched, getting the kinks out of his neck.  
  
"Guess I should go thank 'em for taking me in and taking care of me  
after the fight." Ranma muttered, looking out the window. The sky was   
slightly overcast, and rumbled a bit as he looked at it. "I hate omens."  
  
With that, Ranma left the room.  
  
  
  
The house, Ranma realised as he walked through the halls, was very  
immense. He wandered around for nearly ten minutes, trying to find his  
way to some stairs. Eventually, after getting the feeling he had no sense  
of direction, he found the stairs and descended down.  
  
Once downstairs, he heard the people in the next room talking. He   
crept to the doorway, and listened.  
  
  
  
"So, that's Saotome Ranma." Yohko said, sipping her tea. "I always   
wanted to know what my fiance looked like. I guess now I know."  
  
"Yes, isn't he manly?" Nodoka asked, obviously pleased with her son.  
"He'll make a wonderful fiance for you. All we have to do is wait for him   
to wake up."  
  
"Certainly turned out better than I thought he would, with Genma   
teaching him." Madoka said, smiling. "I expected him to be some honorless   
thief like Genma is."  
  
"I wonder where Genma is, anyways." Nodoka mused, thinking about her  
errant husband. "He made me a promise to raise Ranma to be a man among men   
for Yohko, and he and I have some things to discuss. Ranma appears to be a   
good choice for Yohko's fiance, but Genma may have failed in his promise in  
some unjudgeable way."  
  
  
  
Ranma was hearing the F-word(1) too often for his liking. He stalked   
back up the stairs, silently. He entered his room, and quickly gathered his   
things.  
  
"Stupid old man..." Ranma muttered. "Another fiance. I ain't gonna   
stick around for this. Nobody's gonna marry me unless I want to marry 'em."  
  
Ranma got up, and dug out a pen and piece of paper from his backpack.  
  
[Thank you for taking care of me, but I don't need any more girls   
chasing after me. Sorry 'bout this, and please don't bother following. You   
won't find me unless I want you to. -Saotome Ranma.]  
  
Ranma left the note on the bedside table, and quickly made the bed up.   
He went to the window and opened it fully, allowing the curtains to billow  
wildly. Casting one last look at the note, he leapt from the window sill and   
landed on the roof of the house across the street. From there, he began to make   
his way back home.  
  
  
  
Barely a minute later, Saotome Nodoka entered the room where her soon   
slept off the effects of the fight.  
  
Looking around the room, she was puzzled. The bed was made as if no   
one had ever slumbered in it, and there was nothing but a small piece of   
paper left on the bedside table.  
  
She walked over to the table, picking up the paper with one hand and   
looking at it. She read the note, and tears soon sprung from her eyes.  
  
"This is not fair..." She said, blinking back tears. "The kami cannot   
be so cruel. To deliver my long lost son to me only to have him disappear   
again... I must find him."  
  
A slow smile crept to her face.  
  
"At least I know he's manly, if he has to rebuff girls as beautiful   
as Yohko. Genma must have fulfilled his pledge to me afterall!" Nodoka   
smiled at the thought as she left the room to tell the Mano family about the   
latest development.  
  
  
  
Ranma entered his home, and checked the surroundings. Nobody was home.  
  
He checked the clock, and found, to his horror, that he had barely half   
an hour to get to school. That left him ten minutes to shower, get changed,   
and make his way to school via the rooftops of Juuban.  
  
He groaned. It wasn't even nine and he'd already gained yet another   
fiance to add to the collection. How could the day get any worse?(2)  
  
Somewhere in the distance, thunder rumbled.  
  
Ten minutes later, Ranma ran out the door, locking it as he went, and   
began to sprint across the rooftops in his desperate attempt to get to school   
on time. He was running parallel to a street, and saw Usagi running at a fast   
pace along the road next to him.  
  
He hopped down, and easily kept pace with her, while she was gasping   
for breath with every step.  
  
"Hey, Usagi." Ranma said, smiling at the girl, who opened her eyes and   
glanced at him while still running. "You're running late too?"  
  
Usagi nodded without saying anything. She didn't want to waste any of   
her precious energy on speaking, crying, or any of the other things which   
being late would end up making her do anyways.  
  
"Wanna lift?" Ranma asked. "Juuban's on the way, and it's probably a   
lot quicker, too."  
  
Usagi nodded again, and Ranma scooped her up in his arms, before   
bounding up to the rooftops and pouring on the speed. Usagi let out a little   
scream before she looked and saw she was quite safe.  
  
Ranma bounced from rooftop to rooftop, going at speeds which defied   
human description. He slid down one roof, jumping off the end and flipping to   
the ground. He ran under a bridge before hopping up to a glowing neon arcade   
sign and bounding over a copse of trees.  
  
He landed in front of the school, skidding to a stop five meters from   
the front doors. He put Usagi down, who looked as if she never wanted to do   
that again in her entire life.  
  
"Seeya around." Ranma said, hopping up the wall of the school, before   
using that same wall as leverage to launch himself to the rooftops on his   
way to his own highschool.  
  
Ranma arrived just in time for first class.  
  
  
  
Setsuna looked through the timeline, communuicating with her alternate   
self. She was trying to convince her other self not to send Usa back in time   
again if she sent the Usa which had just arrived forward.  
  
She was failing.  
  
"Why not?" Setsuna asked, looking at her future self. "She obviously   
is in the wrong timeline if there's already an Usa here. Why does she need   
to stay in THIS timeline?"  
  
"That..." Her future self said, smirking. "Is a secret."  
  
"I hate it when I watch Slayers." Setsuna muttered. She looked at her   
future self, and decided on a different tactic. "Well, what happens when   
the Usas meet each other? That will cause the largest paradox in known   
history!"  
  
"So?" Her future self countered. "Make sure they don't meet, because   
YOU will have to clean up that mess, not me. In fact, if things go as they   
are suppossed to, this will be best for Usa. Everything she knows will cease   
to exist when you fix the mess of Chaos in the timestream, and I want to   
make sure she does not cease to exist as well."  
  
"She does not belong here!" Setsuna growled. "Usagi will marry Mamaru.   
It's destined! Nothing can stop it from happening. Beryl couldn't seperate   
them. Death couldn't. I very much doubt that I could."  
  
"Destiny?" Her future self asked, raising an eyebrow. "Have you been   
telling the Sailors that for so long you believe it yourself? Yes, you have   
to admit that certain things will happen. But not everything is always  
pre-ordained. You of all people should know that by now."  
  
"Damn you." Setsuna muttered. "Well, what happens should the timeline   
I and the others have been expecting occurs? What will happen to your Usa?   
Even if she doesn't fade from existence, she's going to lose all the family   
and friends she's ever known!"  
  
"Will she?" Her future self asked. "Her father and mother, even all   
those she calls Aunts, will remain. Her only friends and family are among   
the Sailor Senshi. She won't fade, since her place in YOUR timeline has been   
established, and she won't lose much, but stands to gain all. My decision   
stands."  
  
"Damn." Setsuna cursed under her breath,  
  
"Oh, and don't bother sending her forward right before you un-  
stabilize the timestream." Her future self said, allowing herself a rare   
smirk. "You and I both know I can freeze time, and that I'm willing to   
accept the punishment for all ten seconds that my timeline will exist."  
  
With that, the Gate of Time shimmered, and her future self faded.  
  
"I hate my job sometimes." Setsuna said to no one in particular.  
  
  
  
Ranma stood in front of the Tendo Dojo gates, wondering how he was   
going to tell his father's old friend about his father's death, as well as   
the reason he couldn't marry any of his daughters.  
  
He planned on explaining the second one first.  
  
Ranma's thought was cut off as he felt a droplet of rain hit his head.   
He looked up, and decided that he didn't want to get wet. He knocked heavily   
on the front gate three times.  
  
After a few moments, the long haired brunette answered the door. She   
smiled in recognition.  
  
"Hello." She said politely. "Father is expecting you. Follow me,   
please."  
  
Ranma did, lost in thought about what he was going to say. This was   
his father's best friend, and someone his father had trained with and spent   
a large amount of his training with. It wasn't like he could just come out   
and say his father was dead.  
  
They arrived at the Tendo living room, and Soun sat on one end of the   
table, his daughters all sitting to his right along the table. Ranma sat to   
the left of Soun, while the long haired brunette joined her sisters.  
  
"So, you know about the reason your father wanted to come here?" Soun   
asked, his face serious.  
  
"Yes, I do." Ranma replied. "He wanted to engage me to one of your   
daughters. I take it you want my answer to the question?"  
  
"Yes, I do." Soun said.  
  
"No." Ranma said simply. "I will not become the fiance of any of your   
daughters. I already have two, and I will not marry either of them. In fact,  
they know as much and have probably given up. Why should I become engaged to  
one of your daughters above another man's?"  
  
"This engagement is a matter of family honor, promised on the night  
of your birth." Soun said. "I expect you to follow through with the promise  
and keep your honor intact."  
  
"Tendo-san, when I was two, I was engaged to Mido Miko." Ranma said.  
"When I was eight, I was engaged to Daitokuji Beiko. My father accepted the  
dowry of both. What makes your claim more valid?"  
  
"This is a promise to unite the Tendo and Saotome schools!" Soun said,  
his voice becoming agitated. "The other engagements do not matter!"  
  
"Decide, Tendo." Ranma said, his voice cold. "All the engagements are  
valid, or NONE of the engagements are valid. I for one want the latter."  
  
"What will your parents think of this?" Soun demanded, changing his  
tactic. "Your father will disown you from the Saotome name!"  
  
"My father will do no such thing." Ranma said, his eyes narrowing and  
he himself becoming angry. "My father is dead. He drowned in China, at the  
cursed training grounds of Jusenkyou. I buried him myself."  
  
"Genma is dead?" Soun asked, his voice weak.  
  
"I don't know what his last request was." Ranma said. "He said we were   
gonna come to VISIT you, not marry me off to one of your daughters. And to be  
quite frank, I have better prospects elsewhere."  
  
"What!" Soun roared. "How dare you even suggest-"  
  
"Let's look at who's currently pursuing me in a romantic sense!" Ranma  
returned. "I've got a girl who's the richest woman in Japan! I've got girls   
who are better martial artists! I've got girls I know better! Tell me, Tendo,   
what is so special about your daughters, who I don't know, are NOT real   
martial artists, and have nothing that the other girls already chasing after   
me don't have already!? Why should I break my no fiance rule for THEM!?"  
  
The girls were all visibly offended by this, just as Ranma had planned.  
The youngest was fairly boiling with pure rage, the middle was angry as well,  
but this was a cool rage, and the third appeared slightly offended.  
  
"How dare you offend my daughters!?" Soun demanded.  
  
"What are ya gonna do about it!?" Ranma retorted. "I already proved   
you ain't a match for me in any kinda fight! I doubt your daughters are any   
better! You wanna declare a blood fued!? I could end it ten seconds after it   
began! What will you do, Tendo!?"  
  
"You are not fit to marry any of my daughters!" Soun raged. "Get out   
of my sight before I call the police!"  
  
"Glad to!" Ranma said, grinning from ear to ear, to the shock of all   
three of the Tendo girls. "Hey girls? We ain't engaged no longer. You're   
free, and I am to!"  
  
Soun stopped in mid-rage, realising what he'd just done. The   
engagement was valid only so long as ONE of the parties agreed to it. He'd   
just absolved his end of the bargain, and so had Ranma.  
  
He'd been tricked.(3)  
  
"Seeya later, Tendo-san!" Ranma said, walking out of the room. They   
heard the shoji for the front door open then shut. It was a mark of finality   
that ended Soun's hopes of uniting the schools.   
  
He cried.  
  
  
  
Hino Rei was one of Usagi's best friends, despite evidence otherwise.   
She and Usagi had been friends for a long time now, and she knew they would   
be friends for a long time hence.  
  
At the moment, she appeared to have forgotten all that as she fought   
to control her urge to throttle the blonde in front of her.  
  
They were all gathered at the Hikawa Shrine for study group. Rei,   
Minako, Ami, and Makoto were actually studying, to varying degrees of   
success. Usagi, However, was reading one of REI's manga disguised behind   
her math textbook. Unfortunately for Usagi, she'd missed the fact she was   
holding said textbook upside down.  
  
"Meatball Head, you're supposed to be studying!" Rei snapped, her   
patience running out as she turned a vicious glare on her friend. "Not   
reading manga!"  
  
"Don't call me that, Rei! I am studying! See?" Usagi held up her   
textbook while returning the angry look. Then she looked over and saw that   
her book was upside down. "Oops."  
  
"Argh!" Rei snarled.  
  
And the familiar game was on. Rei was managing to just keep up with   
Usagi, who was managing to just stay ahead of the Shrine Maiden. The other   
girls just continued studying, while Artemis and Luna both shook their   
heads in resignation.  
  
A beeping from the computer at Ami's side caught their attention.  
  
"Another attack!?" Usagi whined. She and the others all got out their   
henshin sticks simultaniously and transformed. (4) "So, where is it coming   
from Ami?"  
  
"A kilometer east." Ami said, the visor already over her face. "It   
seems to be a pair of daimons entering from a portal. One is significantly   
more powerful than the other. They appear to be staying together."  
  
"Let's go." Makoto said. "I wanna get there before Ranma does. He's   
stolen the last three kills from us!"  
  
With that, they charged out of the temple.  
  
  
  
Ranma was walking along the fence on his way home, when his danger   
sense kicked up and he jumped out of the way of a blast of energy which   
cracked the ground he had been standing on.  
  
He landed and looked to the source, a woman in a black leaotard with   
long reddish-silver hair. Her hair was swept back from her face by a simple   
gold head ornament.  
  
She smirked at Ranma, and snapped her fingers. A woman made of plants   
and rocks stomped forward. She let out a low growl.  
  
"Destroy the boy and bring me his pure heart crystal." She said.  
  
"Destroy boy." The plant and rock woman said, stomping forward. She   
was a lot bigger than even the stupid vending machine. Ranma guessed it was   
a good bit tougher, too.  
  
This was not going to be fun. (5)  
  
A blast of fire launched the thing to the side, and Ranma turned to   
see the Sailor Senshi standing there, in stupid poses. They looked to be  
preparing a speech instead of taking advantage of their moment of surprise.  
  
"You should not attack those who can't protect themselves, we the-"   
Sailor Moon's speech was cut off by a cry of outrage by Ranma, who's face   
had gone red at the speech.  
  
"What do you mean, can't protect themselves!" Ranma said. "I can   
protect myself just fine! Ain't it me who beat the last three daimons!?"  
  
"I killed the second last one!" Venus said.  
  
"Hey, I'm the one who weakened it. A child coulda taken it out."   
Ranma said. He ducked under a beam of energy from the red-haired woman, who  
appeared angry at being ignored. "What do YOU want?"  
  
Her hands were holding glowing balls of energy, which crackled as she  
held her fists together and pointed them at Ranma, who prepared to dodge.  
She released the energy.  
  
Faster than anyone could move, faster than even Ranma could see, the  
energy washed over Ranma, sending him back, washed up in the wave of pure  
power. The energy smashed into a building, causing it to collapse and bury  
Ranma.  
  
The Senshi watched speechless as the dust settled, and there was no  
movement. The only sound was the occassional pebble hitting cement as the  
dust settled.  
  
"It is finished." The red-haired woman said. "Sailors, you have three  
days to live. I will then return and finish what I started with that foolish  
human who dared to oppose-"  
  
She was cut off by a low rumbling from the direction of the rubble,  
which was now shaking. A lump was starting to rise, and the rubble began to  
vibrate wildly. There was a smash, and a dark shape burst from the ground  
in an explosion of light.  
  
Ranma landed, smirking at the woman, who was shocked. He wiped some  
blood from his lips while looking at the woman and cracking his knuckles.  
There was a vicious gleam in his eye.  
  
"How?" She demanded. "How is it that you live?"  
  
"I ain't no ordinary human." Ranma said. "Now, I got an idea. Why not  
tell me why you just attacked me. I don't like getting buried in stone. Or  
how 'bout I just beat it out of you?"  
  
"I'll be back!" The woman snarled. She turned to the pland and stone  
creature. "Finish the boy!"  
  
She disappeared, and the monster began to advance. Ranma and the  
Senshi stepped warily back. It was eyeing the Senshi and Ranma, likely  
evaluating it's methods of attack.  
  
"So, what's the plan?" Ranma asked. "It's a lot tougher than the other  
daimons. It took that fire blast thingy without any damage."  
  
"It has several weak points." Sailor Mercury said, already tapping  
buttons on her laptop. "If you were to focus your attacks on the joints of  
the daimon, you would be able to remove them."  
  
"Alright." Ranma said. He started towards the advancing creature, but  
stumbled to his knees, clutching his ribs. He coughed up a bit of blood.  
  
"Ranma, you're hurt!" Venus said, rushing over to him and helping him  
stand. He shrugged out of her grib, once again starting towards the daimon.  
"Wait!"  
  
"I don't need help!" Ranma said, angry. "I never lose. This daimon is  
going down, and I'm gonna do it, broken ribs or not!"  
  
With that, Ranma charged the daimon, ignoring the shouts from the   
Senshi. He closed with the creature, starting his attacks. Despite his  
broken ribs, he weaved in and out of the daimon's attacks with a grace that  
astounded the Senshi, all the while raining blows on the joints of the  
daimon's limbs.  
  
The daimon gave a howl of pain, and an explosion of light sent Ranma  
tumbling away from the thing. Ranma landed in a heap on the ground, now  
coughing raggedly. Blood flowed freely from his mouth, and a dark red stain  
was spreading on his uniform's dress shirt. Still, he got to his feet, the  
daimon now being destroyed by attacks from the Senshi.  
  
Ranma took a step forward, before falling to the ground. The jolt of  
pain was enough to finally send him out of the realm of consciousness.  
  
****************************************************************************   
  
(1) Fiance, of course.  
  
(2) You'd think he would have learned by now.  
  
(3) Bets on this impressing Nabiki?  
  
(4) No transformation phrases or descriptions will be written. I assume you   
know them, and I don't want to wind up writing them down, since if I did it   
everytime they transformed in a scene, I'd end up with that as a nice chunk   
of the fic.  
  
(5) And yet AGAIN Ranma is in the running for Understatement of the Year.  
  
Okay, this is just a reminder. Mamaru and Usagi's Chibi-Usa who's in the  
past is her normal age (since nothing in that future timeline changed for  
HER, yet) but Ranma and Usagi's Usa is fourteen ( because when she was   
attacked in the future, papa-Ranma opened a can of whoopass on the enemy and  
thus prevented this Usa from becoming the incestuous Black Lady and all that  
that happened during that time.) and has come back to get more training from   
the martial artists of Ranma's time.   
  
This will be further explained later.  
  
  
  
****************************************************************************  
From: "Chibi Evil" chibi_evil@dragonslave.com  
****************************************************************************  
Outside Influences  
Part 2  
****************************************************************************  
CHAPTER 2  
  
  
  
Ranma awoke from his forced slumber in a bedroom. Surrounding him  
were the Sailor Senshi, who looked like they had been in a long and hard  
fight. The daimon, Ranma realised.  
  
"Ranma, why do you keep fighting daimons?" Sailor Moon demanded, her  
face a bit anxious. "It's dangerous for humans to fight them."  
  
"Feh. It's dangerous for girls like you to be fighting 'em, too."  
Ranma said, sitting up in his bed. He felt his ribs, and was pleased to note  
that his ribs were bandaged, and only a couple were actually broken. The  
rest were merely cracked. "Look, I know I'm only human, and don't got no  
special powers like you do, but I'm a martial artist and I'm NOT gonna let  
'em attack me. I won't run away from a fight."  
  
"Why not?" Venus asked. "Next time you might be killed, or even worse,  
have your Pure Heart crystal stolen from you. You don't want that to happen,  
do you?"  
  
"No. Which is why I fight." Ranma said. He slowly got to his feet,  
surpressing the shudder of pain he got from doing so. He limped across the  
room, to where his bloody shirt and jacket hung from the back of a chair.  
"Look, I can't just run away. It goes against my School's prime tenant. I'd  
rather die than dishonour the Saotome School."  
  
"But what if you ARE killed? Who will continue the school?" Moon   
asked, her face showing sincere worry.  
  
"There are other people practicing Anything Goes." Ranma said. "And   
the Saotome School will die out before I dishonour it." Ranma looked around,   
and found the clock. "Look, I have to go. My cousin is probably worried  
about me. I'll see you around."  
  
Ranma limped to the door, not returning the Senshi's worried gazes.  
Worry was a weak emotion. He couldn't be weak. His father had told him he  
could never show weakness. Weakness wasn't for a martial artist like   
him. (1)  
  
"Ranma, you're not going to be able to get home." Sailor Jupiter said.  
"You've got two broken ribs and four cracked. If it had been any more   
serious we'd have had to taken you to the hospital. All those injuries are  
AFTER Sailor Moon healed you!"  
  
"So?" Ranma asked, turning back to them. "It's your fault I'm injured,  
you know. If you hadn't been there I could have just beaten that daimon and  
been on my way, but you interfered!"  
  
"What!?" Sailor Mars demanded, her face growing red. "If we had just  
left you, you'd be powering a daimon right now!"  
  
"Feh." Ranma snorted derisively. "You think that the redhaired chick  
woulda attacked me herself if someone she saw as a threat were there? I  
woulda pounded the stuffing out of the daimon and been on my way before she  
knew what was happening."  
  
"Oh please!" Sailor Mars said, stalking up to the taller boy. "If we  
were the threats, why did she blast you, huh? She was more scared of you  
than she was of us!"  
  
"Only after she blasted me, and only because I survived." Ranma said,  
returning her fierce glare with one of his own. "She knew you'd survive it,  
you're all mystical warriors or something. I'm just human. She wanted to   
kill me with that blast. It depleted my ki to the maximum just to absorb  
the damage from the building. She wanted to make your morale low. How would  
you guys feel if you saw some innocent blasted in front of you? Not very  
good. She's smart. She's using your emotions against you. She wanted to hurt  
you through an innocent."  
  
"What!? She had already started the daimon after you before we got   
there! What about that!?" Sailor Mars demanded.  
  
"Think!" Ranma snarled. "Before you got there, she sent the daimon to  
get my Pure Heart crystal, whatever that is. But when you got there and were  
watching, she tried to blast me to bits! Why not still come after my Pure  
Heart crystal!? Nothing about the fight had changed, except you being there!  
And even after you came, she sent the daimon after me specifically!"  
  
Ranma stormed out of the door. Well, he limped out angrily, since it's  
hard for someone with two broken ribs to storm anywhere.  
  
  
  
Ranma was walking home, still a bit angry with the Senshi. It wasn't  
his fault they had interfered in his fight. It was their's. They had shown  
up and distracted him, and focused the redhead's attention on him.  
  
He was so thinking so much, he failed to notice the guy in front of   
him untill they'd walked into each other. Ranma looked up, seeing a young  
man his age. He had the look of a martial artist, from the grace he had in  
stopping himself from falling. His black hair was kept from his face by a  
yellow and black tiger striped bandana.  
  
"RANMA!" Angry recognition came to the face of the other boy fast. It  
was only through luck that Ranma managed to dodge the punch that was sent at  
his midsection. He quickly backed off from the other boy, allowing himself  
to get some room.  
  
"...Ryouga?" Ranma asked reluctantly. There was something familiar   
about the other young man, but nobody he could immediately place. "Hibiki  
Ryouga? Is that you?"  
  
"Ranma, I'll kill you!" Ryouga roared, pointing at Ranma with his red  
bamboo umbrella. "Because of you, I've seen the depths of hell! It's time I  
sent you there!"  
  
He charged in, and once again, Ranma was forced to dodge wildly. If  
he weren't injured, he would have had an easy time defeating Ryouga. But  
since he was injured, he was barely able to keep out of the way of the  
other's attacks, and was able to make no counter-attacks of his own.  
  
"Ranma, you're pathetic!" Ryouga growled. He stopped attacking, a look  
of distaste on his face. "I don't know why I bothered to come after you for  
that fight you ran away from! Your skills are pathetic!"  
  
"Hey!" Ranma growled. "I've got two broken ribs and lots of cracked   
ones! But if you are gonna insult my skill, I'm gonna have to put you back  
in your place!"  
  
"Fine!" Ryouga said, returning the angry glare Ranma was sending his  
way. "In three days, we fight. The lot behind my house, Saotome! If you're  
not there in three days, I'll hunt you down myself!"  
  
"Agreed." Ranma said, shaking hands with the other boy. "In three days  
I'm gonna teach you a thing or two about martial arts."  
  
"In three days, Saotome," Ryouga growled, his voice dangerous. "I'll  
kill you with my bare hands."  
  
The other boy stalked off, heading down the street. Ranma sighed as he  
looked at his old friend. He could only wonder what he could have done to  
make him so angry.(2)  
  
He shrugged it off, thinking he'd figure it out sooner or later. He  
had to get back home as soon as possible.  
  
  
  
Michiru and Haruka were watching the news when they heard the door  
open. Both looked to see a pale-looking Ranma enter, his Mugen jacket and  
shirt torn and bloodied. Under the shirt they could clearly make out the  
thin strips of cloth that made up bandages. These had the small dark stains  
which marked punctured skin.  
  
"Ranma!" Michiru cried, getting up and rushing over to him, followed  
by an equally worried Haruka. "What happened?"  
  
"Just a little scuffle with the daimon of the day..." Ranma said, as  
Michiru led him to the couch. He sat down, as Michiru and Haruka did a quick   
check of his wounds. "I almost had it, too, when the Sailor Senshi showed up  
and turned the other daimon's attention on me."  
  
"What?" Haruka asked heatedly. The Senshi would never do something   
like that, unless it had been by accident.(3)  
  
"What do you mean by that, Ranma?" Michiru asked, concerned. "I'm sure  
they didn't do it on purpose. It could have been an accident, you know."  
  
"I'm pretty sure it was, but they didn't do much untill I'd been torn  
up pretty good." Ranma said, his voice angry. "The only one I saw making an  
attack was Sailor Mars. The others were just kinda standing there untill I  
got blasted through the building. When I got out, one of the daimons ran off  
and ordered the other to kill me. I fought the other one, and it sent me  
flying with a blast of energy. I passed out from blood loss around then. I  
woke up in some house a few blocks from here. One of the Senshi's rooms, I  
think. They'd bandaged my wounds and healed me pretty well, but it's their  
fault I was hurt anyways."  
  
"I'm sure they didn't mean it, Ranma." Michiru said. "They did heal  
your wounds, afterall. Why would they want someone to get killed?"  
  
"They didn't." Ranma said. "I know that much. But they have to realise  
the daimon was targeted on me, someone the leader thought was an innocent  
who couldn't fight back. In fact, the first shot that got me was probably  
powerful enough to burn another human to a crisp and send them into the  
building, shattering every bone in their body. I only broke a few ribs. But  
the next time the Senshi fight, an innocent is going to be targeted. Someone  
who ain't gonna be able to fight back. I can't let the Senshi fight the  
daimons anymore. I gotta do it. Let the daimons target me as the innocent  
and let me kill 'em."  
  
"But you're an innocent, Ranma." Haruka pointed out. "You're human.  
Not a Sailor Senshi. Ranma, even the best martial artists in Juuban know  
that the daimons are too strong for even martial arts to handle."  
  
"I'm better than them." Ranma said stubbornly. "Besides, they're  
cowards if they run away. A martial artist's duty is to protect the weak.  
Not to run away from something that might be stronger. You can't only fight  
when you know you'll win. That's not being a warrior. That's being a bully.  
Any daimons that attack are toast."  
  
"But..." Michiru tried.  
  
"Michiru, don't argue." Ranma said, his voice hot. "I know that this   
is your home, and I should respect your rules. But I'll burn in hell before  
I run away from protecting innocent people from harm."  
  
"Fine, Ranma." Michiru said, sighing and shaking her head. "But I want  
you to promise me you'll only fight unless there are other people that could  
get hurt. I lost Uncle Genma, I don't want to lose you too."  
  
"I promise..." Ranma said reluctantly. "But only if there's nobody  
who could get hurt. If there is, I fight to my last breath or the daimons,  
whichever comes first. And if the daimon kills anybody... The promise don't  
hold me. If it kills, it dies. Right away. Well, I'm tired. I'm going to go  
and catch some sleep."  
  
Ranma got up and left for his room, leaving them to their thoughts.  
  
  
  
Michiru and Haruka were still reflecting on Ranma's declaration, when  
Setsuna entered the room, looking slightly worried. The reasons for her   
worry was made apparant when a moment later two blurs burst from the guest  
room Ranma had been using. There was a series of thumps, and the two burst  
apart, rebounding off the walls, before leaping back together and once again  
more thumps rang.  
  
Ranma was sent flipping back, and barely managed to catch himself from  
slamming into a wall. Across from him, Usa, with a white and gold chinese   
shirt and black pants stood, her pink pigtail hanging loosely over one of   
her shoulders.  
  
They then sprang back at each other, moving at speed which shocked   
even Setsuna, as they weaved in and out of each other's attacks, never  
getting more than a glancing strike on the other.  
  
The price of the battle was beginning to take it's toll on Ranma, who  
jumped back and fell into a defensive stance, eyeing Usa warily. She stood   
in an open stance, her hands behind her back, smirking a familiar smirk   
at Ranma, who realised it was usually him who held that stance and smirk.  
  
"Where did you learn the Saotome School?" Ranma demanded, his eyes  
narrowing at her. "Only me and my old man knew it. He didn't teach nobody  
but me in the entire time I was with him, and I sure as hell didn't teach  
nobody."  
  
Usa smirked, and then both were once again on each other, with speed   
and strength unrivaled. Ranma was once again on the losing side of  
things, barely managing to keep up with the other fighter.  
  
"Stop!" Setsuna yelled, causing both to pause mid-punch. Ranma's fist  
was millimeters away from the girl's face, and the girl's foot was the same  
distance from his ribs. "Ranma, Usa, what's going on here?"  
  
"This little thief attacked me!" Ranma yelled, pointing at Usa   
angrily. She was in my room, opening up the closet where all my stuff is!"  
  
"What?!" Usa demanded, whirling on Ranma. "I am NOT a thief! I was   
about to get changed when this pervert came into my room! He was going to   
grope me when I attacked him!"  
  
"Grope you!?" Ranma asked, laughing. "Who'd wanna grope YOU! You're as  
flat as a board, you little thief!" (4)  
  
WHAM! Ranma was sent flying back to land on his back from an angry   
punch delivered by Usa. She walked up to him, gathering his shirt and   
lifting him.  
  
"How dare you?" She demanded. "I don't even know why my father sent me  
to train with you. Best of his Generation my butt. You could barely keep up  
with me!"  
  
"I *am* the best!" Ranma growled. "In case you hadn't noticed, I got  
broken ribs! You're a worse martial artist than Ryouga!"  
  
"If you're the best, then how come you have broken ribs?" Usa asked,  
smirking at the older boy.  
  
"Daimons." Setsuna answered. "Ranma has been the one who has done the  
majority of the damage to the past four daimons, and has killed two of them  
unaided. The last one he only lost because of another demon present, which  
was much stronger. A negaverse general. Even then, he scared her off simply  
because he survived a blast of energy which should have vaporized him."  
  
"Wha..." Usa gasped, her jaw dropping. She slowly turned to Ranma who  
was now smirking. "You fight daimons!? But... But you're not one of the  
Senshi! How can you stand up to them without magic?"  
  
"Training." Ranma said, grinning. "Pure martial arts. I take those  
daimons down with my fists and feet. I don't need magic or anything to do my  
job for me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta get some sleep."  
  
Ranma walked past the awed girl, shutting the door to his room.  
  
"Hey, my bag's in there!" Usa realised, running back into the room.  
Cries of pervert and thief soon echoed throughout the house again as a few  
thumps escaped the closed door.  
  
  
  
The next morning, Usa and Ranma sat across from each other, holding  
their bowls and eyeing the other warily. Occasionally a blurred hand would   
flit across the table from one or the other, but it was almost always  
deflected.  
  
"Thief." Ranma growled, knocking aside her hand and quickly swallowing  
some more of his breakfast. "When did my old man find time to teach you? You  
must have learned from him. Only he has table manners as bad as yours!"  
  
"Your table manners aren't so good yourself, you perv." Usa said as  
she sent both hands across the table to snatch a morsel from Ranma's plate.  
When she saw Ranma grinning, she looked down to see he'd stolen twice as  
much from her plate. (5)  
  
"Don't call me a perv, thief." Ranma growled, glaring at her.  
  
"Don't call me a thief, perv." Usa growled back, returning the glare  
without flinching. They both began to once again assault each other's food,  
pausing occasionally to toss an insult at each other.  
  
The others at the table watched in silent amusement. The two had been  
getting along pretty badly, for the most part. They weren't at each other's  
throats, but they were insulting each other and eyeing each other with not  
just a bit of mistrust.  
  
"Hey, my pickle!" Usa yelled, watching as Ranma slurped down that part  
of her breakfast. "That was mine!"  
  
Her hands blurred, flying across the table to snatch up the pickle on  
Ranma's plate. Ranma's chopsticks stopped hers halfway back across the table  
with an expert wrist grab. Usa roared in outrage, sending her other hand at  
Ranma's chopsticks, intending to break them.  
  
Ranma smirked, moving his hand for the briefest instant, before he  
trapped both her hands with his chopsticks. With his other hand (And another  
set of chopsticks) Ranma grabbed the pickle from her. He was about to eat  
it when a roundhouse was sent his way, and he was forced to toss the pickle  
up into the air to avoid it being sent into the wall.  
  
As he ducked under Usa's roundhouse, he was shocked to see a pair of  
chopsticks pierce the pickle as Usa smirked at him. She ate the pickle as  
Ranma fumed, unable to retaliate.  
  
"Time to go to school!" Michiru called from the door. She had on her  
uniform, and Haruka was already walking outside to the car. "Hurry up,  
Ranma!"  
  
"We'll finish this later." Ranma growled, heading to the door, pulling  
his Mugen jacket into place. He scowled as he brushed at some of the blood  
still showing up on his jacket. Blood which had refused to come out in the  
wash last night.  
  
  
  
Tsukino Usagi was doing something that most people, even her friends,  
rarely associated with her. She was thinking.  
  
Most of her thoughts concerned the newest arrival from the future. A  
chibi-Usa (Though chibi didn't really fit the girl, she was barely two years  
younger than either of her 'parents') which was the daughter of a pairing  
between her and Ranma.  
  
This was really bothering Usagi. While Ranma seemed like a really nice  
guy, he wasn't her Mamo-chan. He wasn't reincarnated Endymion, her future  
and past fiance. He wasn't the one she was even close to loving right now.  
  
But apparantly, according to the Timeline which was now set, she and  
Mamo-chan would break up or be broken up by an outside influence. And at the  
same time, or shortly thereafter, though possibly before, she and Ranma were  
going to grow closer.  
  
Fate. This was to be her fate. It was destined that she was to marry  
Mamaru, at least, so far as she knew. But that destiny had apparantly been  
changed somehow.  
  
She wanted to know why and how, so she could set things back onto the  
original course. If she was going to end up marrying Ranma, she probably  
would come to love him somehow. But for now, Usagi was in love with her  
Mamo-chan, and nobody, not even the Fates themselves, could stop her from  
doing her best to change destiny to it's previous course.  
  
  
  
Ranma was in the middle of lunch, sitting by himself on a roof, when   
a flash of memory hit him. A face.  
  
The face was that of a regal, yet cruel looking, woman, perhaps in her   
thirties, from appearances, yet youthful looking. Her face was framed by   
bright red hair, and her eyes held both pain and anger.  
  
There was a name that went with that face, Ranma realised. He searched  
his memory for when he had met this woman (if he even had) when the name  
came to him. Beryl.  
  
His mind nearly broke as a rush of memories hit him, forcing him to   
pass out from the sheer strain of processing all the information.  
  
  
"Koh, I thank you for coming to see me." Beryl said, smiling at the  
uncomfortable teen, who stood in the center of her throne room. "I know it  
must seem wierd to be seeing someone who has so recently declared war on  
the Moon Kingdom, but..."  
  
"But what?" Koh asked.  
  
"I want your help to destroy the Moon Kingdom." Beryl said. Koh looked  
at her, shocked. "I know that seems like an insane request, but please,   
listen. The Moon Kingdom may be a paradise, but it is a paradise at the cost  
of it's citizen's lives."  
  
"What do ya mean?" Koh asked. "How does the Moon Kingdom hurt ya?"  
  
"Queen Serenity, she may not even know it, but... She's deprived her  
people of choice. They have no will of their own. There can be no light  
without shadow for contrast, but there is nothing dark in the Moon Kingdom.  
This is why the Earth is never attacked by demons, when all the other people  
in this Solar System are. I do not deprive my people of the choice between  
good and evil." Beryl said, her eyes sad. "Of course, you should decide for  
yourself. When you leave, Zoicite will give you a bag. In it is a fake ID  
and passport, plus money for your expenses, which should let you travel the  
Solar System as you please. Search every colony in the solar system. Search  
all over the Moon itself. Go through the back alleys of Silver Tokyo. Try  
to find some example of the Moon Kingdom's citizens acting evil. I swear if  
find even one example of evil, I will give up my war on the Moon Kingdom and  
personally apoligize to Serenity, even at the cost of my own life."  
  
"You swear?" Koh asked, looking at her suspiciously.  
  
"Yes, I do." Beryl said. She looked into his eyes, her own filled with  
sadness. "At the end of your trip, I will ask you for your answer to my  
question. Prove to me that the people of the Moon Kingdom are not under a  
spell of some sort. Prove to me that they have their own free will."  
  
"If the Moon Kingdom people are under a spell, then how come I'm not  
effected?" Koh asked suddenly, narrowing his eyes.  
  
"The reason for that is two fold, Koh. The first is you're still an  
Earthling. You were born here, and Gaia's embrace has held off whatever  
spells seem to bind the citizens of the Moon Kingdom to the path of pure  
good. The second, is likely your mysteriously strong life force. You can  
manipulate your own life energies at will. It is no wonder that the spells  
are unable to change it, since you would most definately feel the change  
and resist it violently." Beryl smiled sadly. "I bid you farewell, Koh. I  
would speak with you longer, but I have my military campaign to deal with.  
Your friends, the Sailor Senshi, are quite violent in dealing with my people  
and I have to find new ways to counteract their magic."  
  
  
Ranma awoke, and checked his watch to find he had a few minutes of  
lunchtime left.  
  
Ranma wondered what that memory meant. He couldn't remember anyone  
who called him Koh, and he didn't remember going on a trip at any time. To  
mention nothing of the Moon Kingdom, whatever that was. Ranma but those  
memories aside for the moment, and hurried to his class, which was due to  
start in any moment.  
  
  
  
Usa has been practicing since the morning, and was starting to get a  
bit tired. She decided to do some katas before going inside to rest. She  
became aware of a pair of eyes on her as she started the kata, going through  
the moves with grace.  
  
"That's wrong, you know." A voice said from behind her. She turned to  
see Ranma, still in his Mugen uniform, standing behind her. "That kata is  
supposed to be more fluid, and you're doing it much too slow."  
  
"Well, if you're so good, you do it!" Usa challenged, walking from the  
center of the yard and gesturing for him to take her place. He did so, and  
began the kata.  
  
Usa would have called it the most graceful performance of the kata she  
had ever seen, but that would have been a lie. Afterall, the young man in  
front of her had taught her everything she knew (Far into the future, but  
still...) and he'd performed it even more gracefully. She very much doubted,  
though, that even in two years she would be able to perform the kata so well  
as Ranma was performing it right now.  
  
She turned her thoughts to the practicing young man himself. He seemed  
to be the polar opposite of the man she thought was Ranma Saotome. This one  
was rude, untactful, and downright arrogant. He had little in the way of  
good table manners, and he was very impulsive, as well.  
  
Her father... While he'd done some stupid things on occasion, was, in  
most respects, a gentleman. He was polite and kind, and very unassuming to  
those who didn't know him.  
  
"What are ya thinking about?" Ranma asked, after he finished his kata.  
  
"I just miss back home a bit..." Usa said. "Besides, I'm worried that  
if my old man isn't constantly hounding me, I'll fall behind in the Art."  
  
"Do you want to practice with me?" Ranma asked, curious. "I mean, I'll  
help you refine your style. You've got lots of potential, but some of it  
seems to still be conscious thought for you. You got to learn to let go and  
hold onto what you know at the same time."  
  
"What?" Usa asked, confused. Her father said the same thing, but she  
was still having trouble with it.  
  
"Let me explain..." Ranma began, as he began to teach her.  
  
  
  
The next day, Ranma awoke to no pain. His ribs had almost healed,   
thanks to the near-inhuman regeneration Ranma possessed. Ranma got out of  
bed, a rare smile alighting his face. Today was the day of his challenge  
with Ryouga! Ranma got out of his bed, heading outside.  
  
He had to be ready for the fight with Ryouga, and that meant he had  
to know just how much better his ribs were. It wouldn't be very fun for him  
to have his ribs collapse in a fight, afterall.  
  
  
  
Ranma's foot landed lightly on the wall surrounding the lot behind  
Ryouga's home. Ryouga was nowhere in sight. Ranma wondered if he would be  
late for the duel like last time. He hoped not, since he'd fall behind in  
class and he had to be the best. Afterall, he'd said he would.  
  
Ranma leaped from the wall and landed in the center of the clearing,  
checking for any sign of his opponent. There was no trace that Ryouga had  
been present for a long time.  
  
Ranma's keen battle instinct, the fine edge that Genma honed into  
Ranma, was the only thing that saved Ranma from being crushed by a bamboo  
umbrella, which instead slammed into the ground, creating a crater as Ranma  
flipped back.  
  
Attached to the red umbrella was Ryouga's arm. Ryouga threw aside a  
backpack, which landed with a deep thud on the ground nearly thirty feet  
away. He pointed his umbrella at Ranma, a look of angry satisfaction on his  
face.  
  
"Ranma! Three years ago I challenged you! When I arrived, you had gone  
off! We finish that fight today!" Ryouga roared, charging at Ranma and using  
his umbrella like a sword, slashing and thrusting at Ranma in a dazzling  
display of swordsmanship.  
  
Ranma dodged through this series of attacks, delivering solid blows to  
Ryouga's stomache and chest, getting out of range before Ryouga could bring  
a counterattack into play.  
  
"Good, Ranma..." Ryouga said, smiling despite the attack. "You've been  
practicing. That means it's not going to be easy for me to destroy you!" So  
saying, Ryouga once again charged at Ranma, launching a kick at Ranma, who  
used Ryouga's outstretched leg to send himself flying into the air and away  
from the other boy.  
  
Ryouga merely smirked, opening the umbrella and tossing it like a top  
at Ranma. Ranma arrogantly grabbed the handle, expecting to toss the thing  
back at Ryouga with ease.  
  
When his hand gripped the handle, the congrugal force from the throw  
caused Ranma, who was only able to hold on for a second, to be sent flying  
directly into the wall lining the lot. There was a sharp crack, and Ranma  
slumped to his knees as bits of cement crashed down around him.  
  
There go my ribs, Ranma thought, getting to his feet and dodging some  
light punches from Ryouga. Ranma fought defensively, wishing to test the  
full extent of Ryouga's tremendous strength.  
  
After a few more exchanges, Ranma had a rough guess as to how strong  
Ryouga really was. It wasn't looking good for Ranma. Ryouga was roughly two  
times as strong as Ranma, and Ranma only had a small advantage with speed.  
His skill in martial arts was equal to Ranma's own, but Ranma's style had  
more dirty tricks.  
  
It would end up being a test of endurance at the rate the fight was  
going, and Ranma held no illusions about which of the two had the better  
endurance. He had to do something.  
  
He realised what had to be done as he caught sight of a patch of loose  
stones on the ground. He launched an amazingly fast offensive, foregoing any  
defense in the hopes that Ryouga would be too busy blocking or dodging his  
attacks to make one of his own.  
  
It worked. Ranma slowly forced Ryouga back, and Ranma carefully made  
sure he was heading towards the patch of loose stones. Ranma made one punch,  
which was a full strength attack Ryouga couldn't hope to dodge. He blocked,  
digging his feet into the loose stones and sending Ryouga sprawling. Ranma  
quickly jumped on the other boy and threw a punch at his neck, which stopped  
bare millimeters from Ryouga's throat.  
  
"Good fight, Ryouga." Ranma said, getting off and offering his hand to  
the other boy, who reluctantly accepted after glaring at Ranma. "You had me  
for a while there..."  
  
"I would have beaten you, too, if I hadn't stumbled over all the loose  
rocks..." Ryouga grumbled. Ranma smirked, and Ryouga's voice grew angry. "Is  
it funny I lost because of a mistake!?"  
  
"Ryouga, you're a good fighter, but ya need to take advantage of all  
the terrain in the area. The Anything Goes school teaches that anything and  
everything should be used to win a fight. I pulled that desperate attack so  
I could trip you up and make a lethal blow." Ranma said. "With the condition  
I'm in, you woulda beaten me if I didn't do it."  
  
"Well, Ranma..." Ryouga said, slowly chuckling. "I guess I should go  
and train some more. I need to be stronger to defeat you next time, so you  
can't beat me with tricks like that!"  
  
"Ryouga, you're plenty strong." Ranma said, laughing. "I was totally  
surprised by the umbrella! How much does that damn thing weigh, anyways!?"  
  
"I dunno..." Ryouga said, going up to the umbrella and hefting it with  
one hand, tossing it up and down. "It's made of some really heavy substance.   
Not even my father knows what it's made of. It's been in my family for the  
longest time, and was a present to my ancestor, a great martial artist. He  
was so strong that he had to have an umbrella this heavy, or it would be  
crushed in his lightest grip!"  
  
"Whoa..." Ranma said, surprised. He held out his hand, smiling. "Hey,  
let me hold it. I wanna see how heavy it is."  
  
"Sure." Ryouga said, casually handing Ranma the umbrella. Ranma had to  
strain to keep it from falling to the ground. Ranma handed it back to the  
other boy, who casually slung into the holding straps on his backpack, which  
he picked up and slung across his shoulders. "See you around, Saotome."  
  
"Seeya, Ryouga." Ranma said. Both boys shook hands, and departed to go  
their seperate ways.  
  
  
  
Usa had watched all of this from her perch on a tree branch, and had   
been amazed by the depth of skill Ranma had shown. He'd taken on a better  
fighter and had won, while injured!  
  
Usa hopped down from the tree branch, landing without a noise on the  
grass below. She walked out of the lot, playing back every move of the fight  
in her mind, analyzing each boy's style. Ranma's and Ryouga's were almost  
perfect opposites. Where Ranma's emphasized subtle and sneaky combat, the  
other boy's seemed to be entirely composed of straight out attacks.  
  
Interesting.  
  
  
  
Ranma got home, weary. After his fight with Ryouga, rather than going  
to school, he had wandered town for a while, so his cousin wouldn't get any  
suspicions about his whereabouts for the day. Which is why he was taken by  
surprise by the same red haired woman from before. She launched herself at  
Ranma with a glowing white blade of pure energy.  
  
He automatically brought his hands up to block with hands glowing the  
same bright white, and deflected the blade, stepping into the woman's guard  
and slamming a fist into her stomache, sending her flying through the air.  
  
"How did you access the powers!?" The woman snarled, rolling on the  
ground and bouncing to her feet. "Only one mortal has every been gifted...  
And he died centuries ago! You are not Koh!"  
  
The name released the floodgates in Ranma's mind, filling his head  
with a deluge of memories which dropped him to his knees, screaming in  
pain.  
  
  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
(1) Again, more of Genma's training to be a man among men.  
  
(2) Like we all don't know...  
  
(3) Barring canon Haruka's sacrifice...  
  
(4) Hmmm, where have we all seen THIS before?  
  
(5) Ranma is the master of the Saotome School of Food Snatching, now that  
Genma has passed on.  
  
The next chapter (which is the last for this part, and is the prelude to the   
first part of the next) is part of a flashback to the Moon Kingdom.  
  
  
  
****************************************************************************  
From: "Chibi Evil" chibi_evil@dragonslave.com  
****************************************************************************  
Outside Influences  
Part 2  
****************************************************************************  
CHAPTER 3  
  
  
  
Koh stood at the entrance to one of Mars Colony's newer outposts. It  
consisted entirely of a few buildings and almost permanent tents, clustered  
around the wind crystals which created the air needed to breath.  
  
This was the first stop in his trip. Next was Mercury.  
  
Koh walked through the small town, making his way to all the temporary  
housing, where he would be able to store his admittedly meager possestions.  
He entered, and walked up to the counter, where a young woman was working  
behind the counter, going through some paperwork.  
  
"Hi, I'm part of the new group of workers." Koh said, remembering his  
cover. He couldn't use his real name, or he'd be caught. He waited for her  
reaction.  
  
"You're a bit late, and we already have accounted for all twelve of  
the workers who were supposed to arrive." The woman said, pushing aside her  
papers and smiling at him.  
  
"Are you sure?" Koh asked.  
  
"Positive." She said, picking up a piece of paper and reading it. "Oh,  
are you the new shift captain for the militia we requested? The old captain  
was killed in a fight with one of Beryl's youma."  
  
"Yeah, I'm here for that." Koh said. "I'm fresh from the academy, so  
don't underestimate me 'cause I'm young."  
  
"I wouldn't." She said, smiling still. It was beginning to unnerve Koh  
just a bit. "That wouldn't be fair to you. After all, I don't know you so I  
can't judge, can I?"  
  
"Yeah." Koh agreed. He looked around, but aside from under the beds,   
saw no place to lock up his bag safely. "Hey, where's the lockers? I have a  
bag I need to store."  
  
"Why would you need a locker? There are no Chikyu or Youma here. It  
won't be stolen." She said, smiling still. "No citizen of the Moon Kingdom  
would ever steal."  
  
"Oh, okay..." Koh said. He smiled. "Sorry, I've been on Earth for a  
bit. I'm used to having to watch my stuff."  
  
"Not a problem." she said, the smile still present, and really, really  
bothering Koh. He bid her farewell and found an unclaimed bed, tossing his  
stuff under it. He went to sleep for a while.  
  
  
  
He awoke the next morning, and checked the guard patrols, trying to  
see where he could improve the schedule. What he found was nigh-idiotic, and  
he cursed the previous captain in several Earth languages.  
  
All the patrols intersected at some point, and left several key areas  
open for far too long, to say nothing of the vulnerability of several of  
the two-man patrols at other areas. Some places were over a minute away from  
the next patrol, insuring the death of at least one of the patrollers.  
  
A scream pierced the air, and he launched himself over his new desk,  
grabbing the ornamental sword from the top and nearly flying out the office  
in his speed.  
  
Outside, a youma was draining one woman of her energy, while the men  
who did the working waited, watching. Several patrolmen were running at the  
thing with their swords drawn.  
  
Koh decided to finish the fight quickly. White energy cloaked him  
like a shroud, and he flew in a straight line at the youma, who dropped the  
woman to meet his charge. His attack pushed the youma back nearly ten feet  
before it could gain purchase and start resisting. When it did, Koh charged  
the ornamental blade with energy and split the youma in half. It crumpled to  
dust, and the woman who'd been drained was slowly regaining her color.  
  
"Why did no one help her!?" Koh demanded, looking at the people who  
had all gathered.  
  
"We were ordered not to attack any youma, since that would place the  
crop production at risk. Any losses were to be accepted, and they were to  
be primarily among the militia." The drained woman said. She was smiling.  
"Every one of us is expendable for the glory of the Kingdom."  
  
"Those orders are rescinded!" Koh said, glaring at all of the people.  
"You are to help fight the youma next time they attack!"  
  
"No." The smiling woman said. "These orders come from Serenity-sama  
herself, and we can't disobey. After all, every one of us is expendable for   
the glory of the Kingdom."  
  
"Damn..." Koh swore. He walked off, back to his office. If he wanted  
to save these people, he'd have to form tighter patrols and patrol himself.  
He suspected that Beryl was right already, and it had only been his first  
day.  
  
  
  
A week later, Koh was sure of Beryl's claim. The people had their own  
free will... In anything resembling choices of good. But the true free will,  
this they lacked. They held no real concept of good and evil, right and   
wrong. Only what Serenity told them to do.  
  
He sighed, packing his bags. He'd said he'd visit all of the colonies,  
and if they were all like this, he was going to help Beryl. What the people  
were experiencing wasn't life, it was practical enslavement.  
  
  
  
Nine weeks later, and Koh was enlisted in Beryl's army. None of the  
other planets had held a single person capable of acting in an evil manner.  
No matter what he visited, city or shack, there was never any crime. None.  
The people were incapable of foing against Serenity's orders.  
  
The woman he considered his mother was no longer worthy of the title.  
She was little more than a dictator with too much access to magic. Her word  
was literally LAW among the people she ruled.  
  
Koh could not let it happen anymore. He stood in front of the four  
so-called "Dark Generals" of Beryl. There was only one phrase that left his  
mouth as he gazed at each of them.  
  
"Teach me."  
  
  
  
As he trained under the Dark Generals, his power grew immensely. He  
learned more and more about how to use his mysterious power, soon capable  
of fighting any of the Dark Generals in single combat and being able to  
easily hold his own.  
  
He never learned the source of his power. He only knew how to use it.  
Perhaps it was an unconscious link to some unknown power. Perhaps it was his  
own life energies manifested in higher form. He never learned, nor cared. He  
only knew that he could use it to make the universe a truly free place.  
  
  
  
He floated silently in space, alone save for a scant few of Beryl's  
battlecruisers floating behind him. They were to record the first blow for  
the freedom of all humankind, and would mark the end of the Moon Kingdom. He  
lifted one hand, focusing all of his energy into one tiny point...  
  
  
  
On the UMK Battlecruiser Lunaris, the ensign cried out as she brought  
a status report about the small enemy battle group's power. It showed some  
miniscule power readings, and one enormous gathering of energy which rivaled  
that of Sailor Saturn's. She had time to let out a scream as the energy  
stopped condensing and expanded, engulfing the ship and many of those behind  
her.  
  
  
  
Koh looked with sadness at the destroyed ships. They had all been  
innocent in the true battle, merely obstacles. He would have gone around   
them if he could have, but that would have delayed him immeasurably. He  
put on a burst of power, rocketing through space at all speed, dodging the  
remainder of the enemy fleet and it's potshots at him.  
  
He had only one target now that the path was clear. He had to get to  
the Moon Kingdom and destroy Serenity. He had to kill her, and then maybe  
the enchantment on the people would end. If that didn't work, there was  
always the magical items hanging around the Moon Palace. He put on a burst  
of speed, pushing his powers to the limit to get there as fast as possible.  
  
Behind him, he already heard the fleets beginning to engage each other.  
  
  
  
He stopped, floating above Silver Tokyo, gazing at the peaceful image  
before he shattered it with a clenching of his fist, sending a blast of pure  
energy into the side of the Moon Palace. It shattered, dropping stone far to  
the cityscape below. He rocketed in, and floated gently to the ground. While  
he needed to get to Serenity as fast as possible, he was really getting low  
on energy. The blast and the subsiquent speedy arrival at the Moon meant his  
power was low, and he'd need to rest up to recover.  
  
But he couldn't rest, even for but a moment. If he did, he would have  
to let Serenity have a bit more time to organize the defenses. If she were  
allowed to do that, Beryl's coming assault would fail. That's if the assault  
even took place. He'd gone ahead of the fleet, against Beryl's orders, and  
was about to attempt to end the war before it began.  
  
He ran through the halls, his easy familiarity with the place allowing  
him to rapidly make his way to the throne room. He arrived at the doors, and  
there stood the one person he hadn't wanted to fight. Sailor Venus.  
  
"Koh? Where have you been!? We've all been worried about you!" Venus  
said, her eyes widening with surprise at the site of him. "I've been worried  
so much! Why did you run off?!"  
  
"Venus." Koh said coldly, stopping and backing off as she approached.  
"Get out of my way. I have to get to Serenity."  
  
"What? Koh, what are you..." Her eye's widened as she recognized the  
uniform he wore. A Dark General's uniform. Her surprise at seeing her old  
love had prompted her to ignore the clothes. But they were brought to her  
attention by the cold demeaner she got from him. "Why are you wearing one  
of the Dark General's uniforms? Koh, you couldn't have..."  
  
"I did." Koh said, glaring at her as she paled at his admission. "I've  
seen the evil of the Moon Kingdom. I freely surrendered myself to Beryl's  
army and I swear I'll kill Serenity, and anyone else that gets in my way!  
Venus, don't make me destroy you..."  
  
"Then don't..." Venus said, slowly approaching. "You don't have to do  
this, Koh... No matter what you've done, we'll all forgive you. Please, just  
come back to us..."  
  
"Forgive me?" Koh laughed, sending a small blast of energy at her feet  
and causing her to back off. "I destroyed half the imperial fleet barely an  
hour ago! They wouldn't let me through! Venus, I don't want to kill you! I  
love you! But I can't let Serenity live any longer!"  
  
"Koh, you know my feelings for you..." Venus said, a tear escaping her  
eye as she looked at him sadly. Her eyes narrowed as she fell into a ready  
stance. "But I'll be damned if I let you kill Serenity!"  
  
"Please, Venus. If you fight me, I won't hold back." Koh said, trying  
to plead with her. Tears shone in his eyes as he tried not to cry.  
  
"I don't expect you to... Because I won't hold back either!" Venus  
said, backing off and letting loose a beam of yellow energy at Koh, who  
ducked under it and launched himself at her. He slammed her through a wall,  
but followed her through it with an uppercut which sent her flying through  
the air.  
  
Koh jumped over a blast of fire which would have scorched him black,  
cutting off his persuit of Venus. He landed opposite of Sailor Mars as well  
as Sailor Venus, who was already on her feet.  
  
"Two against one? Hardly fair..." Koh said, giving them a dirty look.  
"And I thought you Senshi stood for Love and Justice. Is the second thing  
you stand for as much bullshit as the first?"  
  
"What!?" Mars demanded, her eyes beginning to glow red. "How dare you  
insult the Senshi, Koh! Especially after a cowardly attack like this!?"  
  
"Cowardly?" Koh asked, laughing in her face. "I blew an outer wall to  
hell. The battle between our two side's fleets began over an hour ago! Well,  
princess, would you have preferred I delivered an invitation and kindly made  
a request to kill your Queen? Get real! This is war, little girl! Be ready  
for the consequences!"  
  
"Mars, he's mine." Venus said, looking to her friend. "Go, and make  
sure that there's no one else skulking around. Make sure that no other of  
Beryl's generals are in this attack."  
  
"Fine. But if you're in trouble, I'm jumping in the fight." Mars said,  
disappearing down a hallway.  
  
"We're alone." Koh said, smirking. He looked to the absent throne, and  
smiled sadly at her. "How about you tell me where the Queen is? I don't want   
to be forced to kill you..."  
  
"Never!" Venus roared, rushing forward in a berzerker attack. She and  
Koh had been equal fighters before he'd left. He'd been able to keep up with  
her out of Senshi form. Now, he was able to keep up with her in her Senshi  
form.  
  
"Come on!" Koh snarled, slamming his fist into the side of her head,  
sending her flying into a wall. He followed this up with a blast of energy  
which would have vaporized her had she not dodged out of the way. "This is  
not a friendly sparring match! If you don't kill me, I'll kill you!"  
  
Koh charged through the air, launching a series of punches and kicks  
which finished with Venus being slammed through a wall. He flashed through,  
continuing his vicious attack, slowly and mercilessly beating down any of  
the defenses she could put up. This combination ended with her being slammed  
into a tree by Koh, who now held her by her neck. One of her arms hung limp  
at her side, the other grasping the wrist which held her neck pinned to the  
tree.  
  
"Venus, it's time you die. Any last words?" Some tears trickled down  
his face, but his resolve was firmed. Venus would die. Venus brought one  
arm to his chest, grasping weakly at his shirt. He leaned close to hear what  
her last words were.  
  
"K-Koh... I'm sorry.. it had to end... like this." Venus said, tears  
flowing freely from her eyes. Her other arm dropped beside her first. "B-But  
I couldn't... give up, any more than you could. I'll see you in Heaven, if  
it exists... VENUS CRESCENT BEAM!"  
  
Both her hands glowed briefly, and Koh had time to widen his eyes in  
surprise and drop Venus in an attempt to deflect her hands before the beam  
was fired.  
  
He had no time. There was a flash of golden light, and blood blossomed  
like a flower on his tunic's front. He dropped to his knees, and Venus sunk  
to the ground beside him.  
  
"Damn..." Koh muttered, holding his chest. He nearly fell over before  
Venus caught him in her arms. "Damn, damn, damn... Good to see you listened   
to some of my advice, Mina-chan... Didn't think you'd remember all of my   
lessons..."  
  
"Koh... Why?" Venus asked, tears splashing freely on his chest. "Why  
did you do it, you fool? Why did you leave me and the others? Why did you go  
over to the other side... Why?"  
  
"I had to..." Koh said, blood now tainting his mouth, flowing from the  
corner of his mouth. "I saw something that changed me forever... Mina, I  
can't burden you with this load... But... Please... R-Remember... to see all  
with eyes... unclouded by prejudice. A-Always... think for yourself..."  
  
Koh reached up seeking to grasp her hand and hold it one last time. As  
Venus reached out to hold his hand, it fell to the ground with a dull thud  
as the light left his eyes, and his body went limp.  
  
  
Ranma finished screaming, his voice hoarse. Looking at the woman, a  
name came unbidden to his mouth.  
  
"Naomi? What happened with the battle... I failed in my mission... I  
was killed..." Ranma said, slowly getting to his feet. "Serenity was alive  
as my soul left my body. Since the Sailor Senshi still lived, I assume she  
was never destroyed?"  
  
"We won, Koh..." Naomi said, hugging her old friend close. "But at a  
truly great price. Mundane magic has left this universe, and Serenity, in  
her pride, destroyed the entire Moon Kingdom, including the colonies on all  
the planets, rather than let us take over. Beryl was banished to a nether  
realm of evil, and her soul twisted by the event. The Generals besides you  
were all bound to her soul, and all of them twisted by some unknown being.  
The fleet was destroyed. All of Earth's technology was invested in the war,  
and it was all destroyed. The progress of humanity has been delayed by ten  
millenia, and stunted since only the Sailor Senshi and the remnants of the  
old army can access true magic now."  
  
"Damn..." Ranma muttered, looking up to the sky. "Naomi, I'm no longer  
Koh. I'm Ranma. I have all my memories, but I have the memories of Ranma as  
well. Call me Ranma untill my memories fully return."  
  
"What of the Sailor Senshi, my lord?" Naomi asked, looking to Ranma.  
"I can summon some of the Earth's elementals to deal with them. Your power  
has probably been weakened in that body, and you still don't remember all of  
your skills. We should hold off revealing that you have awakened as long as  
possible."  
  
"The Senshi of this time..." Ranma said, the memory of his battle with   
Venus still fresh, as though it had happened. "I take it they are trying to  
revive the Moon Kingdom?" Naomi nodded, and Ranma sighed. "They have to be  
destroyed. We can't let another mockery of good such as the Moon Kingdom  
happen. We have to stop them."  
  
"The Sailor Senshi will soon die, my lord." Naomi said, smiling.  
  
"Yes, then Humanity will finally be able to stand on it's own two feet  
without radicals such as Serenity holding them back." Ranma said. He turned,  
beginning to walk away with Naomi. "Let's get ready to destroy them."  
  
  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
Histroy is written by the winners, and the only survivors of the battle was  
Beryl and Moon Kingdom people, and Beryl was trapped forever. What if there  
was a reason Beryl tried to pull a coup? This is just one of my views on  
the matter.  
  
More surprises and things are just looking worse and worse for the Senshi,  
eh? Chibi-Usa(Ranma's), Ranma, and Naomi are all variables that the Senshi  
didn't have to take into account. How will they deal with it? Only future  
installments will tell...  
  
Okay. I need Comments and Criticism. Good stuff though, please. None of  
this flat out BS, consisting solely of "You Suck!" or other such drivel. I  
am perfectly happy to have my faults and mistakes pointed out to me, so long  
as it's done in at least a semi-polite manner and they tell me why.   
  
I can be reached at the address at the top of this file.   
  
My website is at:  
  
http://www.geocities.com/chibievil/  
  
'Till next time,  
-Chibi Evil 


End file.
